Picture Imperfect
by Jennifoofighter
Summary: When Kim Marcus re-enters Martin’s life, he discovers that sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is the chance to try and set things right. MK, DE, MPOV, DPOV, KPOV, Casefile, Angst
1. Teaser

**TITLE: ****Picture Imperfect  
AUTHOR: Jennifoofighter  
RATING: R  
KEYWORDS: MK, DE, Casefile, Angst, MPOV, DPOV, KPOV, Primarily post "Hard Landing" and the series finale, "Undertow."  
ARCHIVE: It will be posting exclusively at  
THANKS: To every single one of you who reads my fics and more so to the ones who review. Thank you!  
****EXTRA-SPECIAL THANKS: To Anmodo for all her hard beta work. Thank you so much for all your wonderful insight, comments, guidance, contributions, and catching/correcting all my many grammatical errors. This fic truly would not be possible without you. You Rock **_**and**_** you Roll! You got it all!  
****DISCLAIMER: Hank and Co. own everything **_**Without a Trace**_**. No copyright infringement is intended. I am attempting to fix what I feel was an incredibly poorly written storyline but considering the material I am working with, it is only my lame attempt. However, heaven knows if I had any influence over the show I wouldn't have had to write at all.  
****SUMMARY: **_**When Kim Marcus re-enters Martin's life, he discovers that sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is the chance to try and set things right.**_

_~*~*~*~_

_In a way, I need a change  
From this burnout scene  
Another time, another town  
Another everything  
But it's always back to you_

~ Shattered (Turn the Car Around) by O.A.R.

~*~*~*~

1310 Meadowlark Street  
Westchester, NY

Pressing the incline button on the treadmill, Kim ran faster and harder to try and maintain her speed. It felt good to have this release, to be able to move at her own pace, pushing herself as hard as she could. It was a strange feeling to enjoy running. Normally she abhorred any form of exercise, firmly believing that if she was going to work up a sweat it should be for much more fun reasons that ended with a bigger reward than simple physical exertion. But today, she had so much pent up energy she needed an outlet, a way to expend the anxious adrenaline. Now, feeling the conveyer belt moving under her sneaker clad feet all she could think was how right it was to have the simulated earth moving rapidly beneath her. Lately the world had been spinning around her so quickly, that it finally felt like she was starting to catch up.

Staring out the window as she ran, she watched as the sky turned a soft shade of pinkish gray. The weatherman had reported a chance of overnight snow, which meant the odds were good there would be a white Christmas.

The treadmill beeped a few times as it lowered, indicating that her designated work out was at an end. She walked the last minute before stepping off with shaky legs and grabbing a nearby towel. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, neck and chest as she reached for the Nalgene bottle she had filled with water before her run. Taking a quick swig, she turned and exited the home gym and headed upstairs to the master bedroom feeling equally spent and exhilarated.

As she moved through the bedroom on her way to the bathroom, she glanced at the clock on the nightstand and noted that she had a good two hours before dinner. She set the water bottle on the bathroom counter before reaching into the shower stall and turning it on. She tested the water temperature and pressure with her fingers making sure it was adequate before shutting the glass door to strip down. Toeing off her sneakers, she peeled off the sweat soaked workout T-shirt, socks, pants, and sports bra, tossing the discarded clothes into the laundry bin in the corner. She reached up and pulled off the elastic band, releasing her ponytail and sending her long brown hair cascading down her back. Turning to enter the shower, she caught sight of her wedding band and engagement ring, sparkling brightly on her long tanned finger. She studied them for a bit, considering how naturally they felt on her hand that she almost forgot to remove them. She licked her lips thoughtfully as she ran her thumb along the bottom of the bands, which felt so right when she was wearing them. Sighing with weary sentimentality, she carefully pulled them off and set them down on the small dish on the counter.

She stepped into the steaming hot shower, relaxing under the steady spray of water and savoring the peacefulness of the act. Closing her eyes, she lingered under the cascading water as the warmth spread over her, easing any aches or pains. Opening her eyes, she reached for a shampoo bottle, popped the cap and smiled as she inhaled the sweet scent of Biolage. She poured a dollop of the product in the palm of her hand and lathered it up, rubbing it into her hair and scalp. It still felt strange how light her own hair felt running through her fingertips. She had recently cut off three inches but it was still taking some getting used to when washing her hair.

A short while later when she was done showering, she pushed open the fogged up glass door, and grabbed one of the thick plush towels from the rack. She wrapped up her hair in one and wrapped the other around her small frame. Using her hand, she wiped the steam from the mirror before picking up her rings and sliding them back on.

After doing her face and blow-drying her hair, she padded softly across the lush carpet towards the walk-in closet to find something to wear. Locating a pair of Lucky jeans, a dark gray cashmere sweater and a pair of black Ugg boots, she got dressed and headed downstairs.

Walking through the living room, decorated lavishly for the holidays with garland strung along the banister and poinsettias placed strategically throughout the home, her gaze fell on the eight-foot Christmas tree shining brightly in front of the large windows. She paused and looked up at the angel resting on top, a cherubic porcelain face smiling gently down at her. Taking a heavy breath, Kim ran her thumb once more along her wedding ring and sent up a silent prayer of thanks before turning and continuing on to the kitchen.

She spent the next hour preparing dinner. Early that morning, she had found lasagna in the freezer and had left it out to defrost. After reading the directions, she slid the dish onto the lower rack of the oven, snapped the door shut, and set the timer. Satisfied that the main entrée was handled, she opened the refrigerator and gathered ingredients for a salad. She quickly tore up the head of lettuce and diced up some tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and avocado and tossed them all in a large salad bowl. She wished that there was some red wine in the house but there wasn't a single drop to be found anywhere. When she was done, she placed the bowl in the refrigerator to chill and got to work cleaning up – feeling every bit like Martha Stewart or Donna Reed when the doorbell rang.

Wiping her hands on a dish towel, she started to the front door thinking that dear husband forgot his key. After all, they had just moved in. But as she neared, through the window alongside the door she spotted two people she didn't know standing there expectantly. Tossing the towel onto the table in the foyer, she quickly checked her reflection in the mirror mounted on the wall to make sure she was presentable before turning the doorknob and opening the door.

The air was brisk and Kim shivered as a cold gust passed through into the house. Smiling curiously at the couple, she greeted, "Hello?"

"Hello, I'm Daphne Crawford," the woman greeted with a large smile that revealed teeth that looked too white and too perfect causing Kim to think they weren't natural. Somewhere in the state of New York a dentist made a tidy profit courtesy of Mike Crawford's hard earned money. In addition to her capped teeth, Daphne had a round face with short blonde hair tucked under a lime green knit cap that matched her scarf and gloves. "I'm president of the neighborhood organization." She gestured to the man standing next to her and added, "This is my husband, Curtis."

"Hi there," Curtis said with a small polite smile. He looked extraordinarily ordinary with short brown hair, a round non-distinct face and wire frame glasses. He was wearing a navy blue parka that made his already husky frame seem even larger. Holding a large gift basket, he bore the expression of a man whose wife was always on the go but he would much rather be at home watching sports.

"Hello," Kim replied with a small nod. "I'm Kim Granger."

Grabbing the basket from Curtis, Daphne held it out towards Kim and declared, "We wanted to be the first to welcome you to Meadowlark Street."

"Thank you, that was very nice of you," Kim graciously replied as Daphne thrust the bulky basket into her arms. Shifting the heavy basket against her hip, she met the expectant eyes of her new neighbors and took a step back, tilting her head into the house. "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, we don't want to be a bother," Daphne replied as she instantly disregarded her own words and moved past Kim to enter the house. "But maybe just for a minute."

Kim led them into the living room and set the basket on the coffee table. She glanced at the contents, mentally cataloging that it contained a bottle of merlot, box of Godiva truffles, and lots of other jars whose labels she couldn't quite read through the plastic wrap. Motioning for them to sit, she said, "Thank you again for the gift basket." She gestured to it and grinned. "I was just wishing I had some wine to go with dinner."

Raising her chin, Daphne sniffed the air. "Italian, right?"

Forcing a smile on her face, Kim nodded. "Lasagna. Good nose," she commented, idly thinking that she'd be a huge asset on a hunting expedition, with her around, there would be no need for a hound dog.

"So what brings you to Westchester?" Daphne asked, her eyes scanning the décor. It didn't take a great intuitive leap to see that the woman was judging and appraising the house – and thus, the couple who resided here. The living room was decorated in soft earth tones with a large cream-colored sofa, worn brown leather chairs and a dark oak coffee table with matching end tables. The artwork on the walls bore the look of authenticity, as if they were original works done by actual artists and not prefab pieces selected because they matched the sofa. Adding in the Christmas decorations, it only added to the ambiance. Guessing by the impressed look on the woman's face, both met with her approval. "Finally decide to get out of the city and maybe start a family?" Kim's eyes went wide at the woman's comment so Daphne quickly backtracked. "I mean, your house is immaculate and there aren't any signs of children. I just assumed," she trailed off, clearly hoping that Kim would bail her out of the awkwardness of her comment.

"No, no kids," Kim replied, her voice sounding sadder than she had expected. She planted a smile on her lips and continued, "Actually, we just moved here from Boston. My husband was transferred for work. He's the Regional Vice-President of Goliath National Bank."

Sitting down on one of the chairs next to Curtis, Daphne's eyes went wide as she craned her neck to look around the house. "Oh, is he home?"

"No, not yet." Taking a seat opposite of them on the sofa, she glanced at her watch and saw that he should have been home by now. "He works in the city and we haven't mastered how long the commute will take quite yet."

"That'll happen soon enough," Daphne replied, patting Curtis on the knee. "This one works for Spencer Advertising and I could set his ETA like clockwork." She paused and amended, "Well, once in awhile, it can be a gamble on what time he'll be home if the traffic in the city is bad."

Curtis nodded, looking bored, and something told Kim that maybe any delays returning home were more voluntarily than traffic-related.

As if on cue, they heard the door from the garage open up and the sound of footsteps in the kitchen.

"Speaking of the devil," Kim said as she quickly stood up to intercept her husband on his way into the living room so she could warn him of their unexpected visitors. She got as far as the archway into the dining room when he appeared. She quietly cursed his long legs and her short ones as she hurried towards him.

He stopped short at the sight of strangers sitting in the living room so Kim quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Pulling back she asked, "Hey honey, how was your day?"

Smiling down at her, he breathed, "It was…it was good."

She stepped back and gestured to their guests seated in the living room eagerly watching them. "Sweetie, these are our new neighbors, Daphne and Curtis Crawford." He nodded and stepped forward towards where they sat as she delicately ran her hand along his arm and looked at the couple. "This is my husband, Martin Granger."

Extending his hand and offering up one of his beatific dimpled smiles, Martin greeted, "Hello. Nice meeting you."

As the Crawford's each shook Martin's hand, Kim asked, "Would anyone care for something to drink?" She stood up and thumbed in the direction of the kitchen. "I have coffee, tea…"

Waving her off, Daphne rose and said, "No, no that's alright." She motioned for Curtis to follow and started to the door with her gaze shifting happily between Martin and Kim. "Normally, I would love to sit and chat but I have three boys at home and if I leave them alone too long the living room becomes like the _Thunderdome_," she laughed loudly as she held up her hands in mock fists and with a deep, guttural tone added, "Two men enter, one man leave."

Kim smiled with a slight nod of the head. "Of course, another time then."

Curtis, showing the first signs of life, slapped Martin on the back and boisterously said, "I try telling her that's just how boys play. Am I right?"

Chuckling, Martin agreed. "Yeah, I always thought my mom wanted us to play outside to get fresh air but now I think she was just afraid we'd break stuff if we stayed indoors."

"Tell me about it," Curtis replied, walking alongside Martin as they headed to the front door. Leaning in close, he looked Martin square in the eye and with a serious expression on his face, he asked, "You golf?"

Meeting the man's eyes and looking equally serious, Martin proudly replied, "Seven handicap."

Grinning brightly, Curtis reached out and grabbed Martin's hand again and said, "Welcome to the neighborhood! I'm already calling dibs that you are partnered with me!" Shaking Martin's hand profusely, he exclaimed, "As soon as it stops snowing, you and me at the club. Deal?"

"Sure," Martin replied, carefully extracting his hand from the other man's grip.

The two couples reached the front door and Martin pulled it open as Daphne and Curtis started to exit.

As soon as they passed, Martin wrapped his arm around Kim's shoulders so she snaked her own around his waist. Tucking a strand of hair behind an ear, she watched as their new neighbors started down the front steps and said, "Thank you again."

"You're welcome," Daphne replied when she stopped abruptly and turned around. "I almost forgot." She stepped back towards the door. "The official neighborhood Christmas party is tomorrow night at our place." She pointed to the large colonial brick house at the corner of the block. The white Grecian pillars were wrapped up in large red ribbon that made them look like giant candy canes. Each window was adorned with a Christmas wreath and Christmas lights hung from every possible hook, tree limb or ledge. On the roof sat mechanical reindeer with lights blinking so fast it looked like their legs were moving. On the lawn sat a giant plastic snow globe with an eerily cheerful looking snowman inside waving at anyone passing by. No doubt that even Santa Claus himself would think it was a tad too much. "It's at seven p.m. and everybody in the neighborhood comes so it's a great chance for you to meet the rest of the neighbors. Even the David's come," she lowered her voice to a whisper as she added, "and they're Jewish."

Sharing a look with Kim, Martin smiled and replied, "Well, then we'll be sure to be there, too."

Clapping her hands together, Daphne exclaimed, "Fabulous! It really is the most fun…"

"They already said they're coming, hun, you can stop selling them on it," Curtis judiciously interrupted, putting his hands on his wife's shoulders. He winked at them as he guided his wife down the steps. "Let's leave them to their dinner."

"Right, right," Daphne agreed, giving them a final wave goodbye before turning and walking down the front steps.

Martin and Kim stood there with their arms wrapped around each other, watching them leave. She sighed, thinking that to the Crawford's and anyone else observing, they would look like a picture perfect couple. They waited until Daphne and Curtis were safely on the sidewalk before giving them one final wave goodbye and turning to enter the house.

Feeling Martin's arms loosen around her shoulders, she quickly stepped free of his embrace, and entered the house ahead of him. She moved back into the living room and glanced at him over her shoulder as he locked the door. She stepped up to the gift basket to inspect the contents more fully, spotting a few items she missed the first time. "They brought us a basket to welcome us to the neighborhood." Grinning, she turned around to face him and cheerfully asked, "How do you want to divvy it up?"

Sliding the lock into place, Martin turned around to face her. His smile from earlier had faded as he stared back at her with dark eyes. "I don't want any of it." His voice was level but there was no mistaking the sharp edge to his words. "Do whatever you want with it."

Her expression fell at hearing his tone but she grappled to find a way to make a connection. "Are you sure? You haven't even seen what's in it and there's some…"

"Like I said, it's yours," Martin gave her a final nod of dismissal before heading up the stairs. With his back to her, he added, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Dinner will be ready in…" she called out to his retreating form as he disappeared up to the second floor when she heard the door slam shut, "…half an hour."

Sighing heavily, Kim wrapped her arms around her chest and scanned the room sadly as she thought about how pretend time was now over. It was time to face the cold reality of what her marriage to Martin was really about.


	2. And then he saw her

Chapter 1

~*~*~*~

_And I am here still waiting  
Though I still have my doubts  
I am damaged at best  
Like you've already figured out_

_I'm falling apart  
I'm barely breathing  
With a broken heart  
That's still beating_

~ Broken by Lifehouse

~*~*~*~

It all began with a broken copier.

If the copier had been working, he wouldn't have had to go to the seventeenth floor to use the one in White Collar Division. If he hadn't gone to White Collar, he never would have had to wait in line to use their copier. If he hadn't been waiting in line, he never would have seen her…

~*~*~*~

_Two days earlier…_

Sitting at the conference table, Martin, Danny and Viv separated and stacked the last six case reports that the team had recently closed. After an exhaustive string of cases, there was a lull in disappearances of the citizens of New York, which allowed time for the agents to catch up on their case reports. Since the loss of Elena to White Collar after Danny and she got married, the one thing suffering the consequences was the paperwork. The only ones not burdened with the task were Jack, who as SAC, wouldn't normally be bothered with such things until they had given their reports to him, and Sam, who took the day off in order to take Finn to see his pediatrician.

It was a remarkably boring day for the team and for this fact alone, Martin was extremely annoyed. He was hoping for some distraction from all the holiday merriment as Christmas was a little over a week away. Normally, he loved Christmas: the anticipation of giving and receiving gifts, the decorations, the food, and the gathering of loved ones. But this year it only served to remind him how much he didn't have to celebrate. His parents were going to Paris to visit some old college friends so that left him visiting his family in Long Island. Normally it would be just as pleasant but since his cousin Jamie recently had the new baby, the house was crowded with mostly her husband Ron's family. Since he didn't exactly exude the persona of the carefree playboy bachelor, he wasn't relishing the opportunity to explain to a bunch of strangers why he didn't have a wife or family of his own to celebrate the holiday with.

Add to the fact that everyone else on the team was preparing for some sort of exciting holiday event, it only served to dampen his spirits.

Jack was cheerfully anticipating having both his daughters home for Christmas. Hannah was still living with him, the two reaching an agreement to continue working on their relationship. Kate was going to fly in from Chicago and stay with them until after the New Year. For the first time in ages, Jack was all smiles as he worked, excited to have both his girls for a significant chunk of time. And while he admitted nothing, it didn't escape the team's attention that he was spending more time meeting with Dr. Clare Bryson so that only enhanced his cheerier demeanor. Of course, it was also noticed that he would stop by and see Dr. Lisa Harris as well although they doubted that it was business-related. Particularly since when Danny asked Lisa what she was doing for the holidays, she hedged, not willing to divulge exactly what she was going to be doing or more importantly, with whom. Of course, maybe Jack was being cautious since Lisa was the first hint of a romantic relationship since the dissolution of his relationship with Sam.

The team had been relieved to see both Jack and Sam returned to status quo soon after their break-up – actually, to those in the know, it was technically their second break-up. While some members of the team were not surprised, namely Viv, others were taken aback that it had ended the way it had. No one was more surprised than Martin. As much as it stung to see Sam dating Jack, sealing his nagging doubts when they had dated that she wasn't really committed to making a real relationship work with him and he was the proverbial rebound guy, what was more surprising was to find that after all those years of Jack and Sam dancing around the subject and finally giving it a shot, it had ended with very little fanfare or even remorse. While part of him did gain some satisfaction that Samantha was still sorting out her issues, it didn't ease the hurt that he was another name on her list of failed relationships. He could only pray that Brian would fare better for the sake of Finn.

As for Sam herself, she had been walking around jollier than anyone had ever witnessed or believed possible. She was eagerly anticipating hosting Christmas for her mom, sister and brother-in-law as well as the family that had adopted Emily's son, Adam. He was in full remission for almost two years in great thanks to a bone marrow donation from Sam's mom so his adoptive family felt it was time for Adam to know his biological family. It was also a big deal since this marked the first time that Sam was bringing Brian into the Spade family fold.

Viv was hosting the holiday for Marcus' parents who were flying in from Indiana and Reggie was driving in from Ohio with some of his college roommates. It was quite funny to see how giddy Viv became at any mention of her getting to see her only son again since he had left for Ohio State University. For a mother and son who often bickered, there was a connection that felt noticeably lost to Vivian when her only child moved far away.

And the biggest event was Danny and Elena celebrating their first Christmas as husband and wife. After they'd had their small civil ceremony, it was promptly followed by multiple parties hosted by any and all family members who were unable to attend. So they wanted to make their first Christmas as special and intimate as possible for them as a married couple as well as mark Danny's first holiday as a stepfather. Martin knew that Danny was already going out of his way to try and track down everything on Sofie's Santa List. He had managed to knock off all but one thing so far and the final item seemed as elusive as Ahab's white whale. Sofie wanted the season's hottest new toy for young girls: an Ariel and the Avengers doll. It was a doll based on a cartoon of a young girl who has super powers and uses them to fight evil. So as with any good marketing campaign, every girl between the ages of five and eleven wanted one which made them as hard to find as weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

As happy as Martin was for his friends, it only highlighted the fact that he was the only one on the team who had nothing significant in his life to mark the holiday. To anyone else it looked like his life was going status quo but he knew that while nothing had been gained this last year, a lot was lost. For him it was yet another year where he had no one special to celebrate the holiday with, no special meeting of families, no one special to shop for, and nowhere special to be. And this holiday he was keenly aware of all that was missing in his life and how he yearned for more, to find that one woman to love who also loved him in return. But as much as he did want that, he knew that his solitary life was a predicament of his own doing as well. He had been reluctant to get involved with anyone since his ill-fated romance with Kim Marcus the previous May. Any woman he did encounter was only to satisfy his basest needs and never amounted to more than a series of random 'dates' because he was unable to commit to anything more than the most superficial level of a relationship. Kim had left his trust and faith broken, and he was unsure how to put the pieces back together.

"Earth to Martin," Danny said as he waved his hand in front of Martin's face. "Hello?"

Jarred from his introspection, Martin shook himself free of his thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Do you have copies of the financials from the Ackles and Padalecki cases?"

"Um, let me check." Flipping through his files, Martin found his reports and opened them up. "No, I still have to make them." He rolled his chair back and stood up. "I'll go do it now."

Looking up, Viv shook her head with a wry smile. "Copier is broken." She straightened up her files in a complete stack before reaching for another one. "You're gonna have to use one in another department."

Grinning, Danny rolled his own chair back and said, "I'll go with you. We can use the one up in White Collar."

"You just want to go see Elena," Martin quipped when an idea occurred to him. He held out the file for Danny. "Tell you what, as long as you're up there why don't you make the copies for me?"

Danny's hands flew up, as if he didn't want to touch the folder for fear of it being contaminated. "Hey, I'm only offering to keep you company. Not do your job."

Rolling his eyes, Martin turned and started down the hallway towards the elevator with Danny in tow. "Aren't you generous? Heaven forbid I get lonely traveling up five floors."

Chuckling, Danny playfully patted Martin on the back. "I am a giver."

They rode up the seventeenth floor talking about other places Danny could try and hunt down the elusive gift for Sofie. He joked that if it comes down to it, he was willing to go to Queens and see if he can find a guy that has one that may have 'fallen off a truck.' The elevator stopped and the two men exited to a floor that mirrored their own, the only exception being the people who sat behind the desks and what sorts of cases they investigated.

After directing him towards the copy room, Danny announced that as long as he was here he would go see if Elena was around and to just come get him when he was done. Chuckling softly, Martin nodded in agreement as he continued on down the hall to the copier. He peeked into the copy room and saw that there were already three people ahead of him. So resigning himself to his place in line, he tucked the folders under his arm and leaned against the wall outside the doorway to wait. He glanced around, seeing another ordinary day at the office as agents moved around talking, sitting at their desks with either their eyes fixed on their monitors or reading through paperwork, or just sipping coffee as they chatted with their co-workers. He heard some laughter and his attention was drawn down the hall to a clerk from the mailroom chatting with an escorting agent from downstairs as they boarded the elevator.

And that's when he saw her.

It happened so fast he almost missed her. He felt his legs sway, threatening to buckle, as time slowed and his eyes went wide watching each step she took down the adjacent hallway on the other side of the building. He found himself soaking in the sight of her: her long dark chocolate hair, her lithe, petite frame, her perfect nose resting on her heart-shaped face, and the smoothest olive skin he ever touched… when just as quickly as she appeared she was gone.

He gulped knowing that there was no doubt in his mind that he just saw Kim Marcus.

Before he could even comprehend what was happening, his feet had already started walking down the hallway to seek her out like a lion stalking its prey. His mind was reeling, wondering why she was here and more importantly how? He picked up his pace so that he was practically jogging down the hallway and turned the corner where she had disappeared. He was moving so fast in his leather shoes that it almost caused him to skid over the freshly waxed linoleum floor so he grabbed hold of the wall to steady himself. He righted himself just in time to see Kim being escorted into one of the conference rooms, the door closing shut behind her. Through the bank of windows, he watched as she was approached by an agent he didn't know, the two becoming engaged in a quiet discussion. Feeling like a voyeur, he studied her as he walked slowly to the door, cataloging the subtle changes since he had last seen her. She had cut her hair. There were wisps and layers framing her face but it was still just as long, falling to the middle of her back. Involuntarily, his fingers twitched remembering the feel of the silky smooth strands running through his hand. His eyes remained trained on her back as he kept walking towards the closed door, mentally willing her to turn around and look at him.

His gaze was so firmly locked on Kim that he didn't even notice SAC Mitch Delmar headed his way until he intercepted him.

"And just where do you think you're going, Fitzgerald?" Delmar asked as he held out his meaty arm, blocking Martin's path.

Delmar was a large man in every sense of the word. He towered at six foot three and a good two hundred and fifty pounds. As a result, every part of him was gigantic: from his size thirteen feet to his large bulbous head. Even the strands of his curly head of hair seemed abnormally larger than normal which probably wouldn't be as noticeable if it weren't for the fact that he was an extremely hairy dude. Even the hair on his fingers looked like they required a daily brushing. It was all of these factors combined that garnered Delmar the nickname, Sasquatch.

But today, Martin couldn't be bothered with Sasquatch's interference so with his focus still on Kim, he asked, "What is she doing here?" When no reply was forthcoming, he managed to break his gaze free of her long brown hair and turn to face Delmar. "What the hell is going on?"

"I think you should head back downstairs," Delmar deflected, deceit evident in his eyes. "This doesn't concern you."

Squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw, Martin pressed on, "You have Kim Marcus in an interview room." With his eyes darting between Kim and Delmar, he continued, "She was my arrest and I insist on knowing what is happening."

"It's none of your business why I am talking to her," he countered, stepping up and getting in Martin's face. "This is a case that does not involve a missing person so back it up and take an elevator ride back down to the twelfth floor."

Undeterred, Martin decided to push back. "If you don't tell me why the Bank Robbery Task Force is meeting with a suspect awaiting trial, I will go above your head and we both know I have the connections to do it."

Delmar's lips twitched, threatening to chuckle. "Somehow I doubt your connections will do you any good since it was the Deputy Director who specifically requested that you be kept out of the loop."

Martin felt like the earth opened up beneath him. "My father is involved?" He shook his head and sighed heavily. "Of course he is." To his credit, Delmar had the decency to look guilty. Opting for another tactic, Martin released a heavy breath and said, "Look, I know you know…" his eyes once again sought Kim out but she was still facing away from him, "…how invested I am in her case. Please just tell me what's going on. We can keep it between us."

Delmar studied Martin's pleading expression and it was clear he was warring on how to respond. After a long pause, he relented. "What the hell, you already know she's here." He put his hand on Martin's shoulder and guided him to the opposite wall so they could talk quietly. It didn't escape Martin's attention that it also kept Kim out of his eye line. "She's helping us in an operation to apprehend Jimmy Wright, her old partner in the bank robberies."

Furrowing his brow, Martin shook his head confused. "I don't understand, she already agreed to testify against him. Why are you talking to her here and now?" He went quiet, considering. "Were you able to locate Jimmy? Because last I heard she didn't have a line on where he disappeared to after he ran off with the money."

Delmar gnawed on his lower lip, considering how to best answer. "It's a little more complicated than just the older robberies."

Frustrated and edgy, Martin shook his head. "You're talking in circles." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned in, giving the SAC a hard look. "Just tell me what's going on."

Sighing heavily, Delmar took a step back and started towards his office. "Alright, follow me."

Martin got in step behind the SAC, casting a final look into the conference room in time to catch Kim's profile. She was nodding her head at something the agent was saying, completely oblivious to Martin's presence. Taking it as a sign to let her be for now, he lowered his head and continued on to Delmar's office.

Once inside, Delmar shut his door and motioned for him to sit. The back of the chair was stiff and unforgiving, so Martin leaned forward, his legs spread and his elbows resting on his knees. "Alright, I'm here. Talk."

Delmar stepped behind his desk, picked up a folder and began, "We've been working with local police departments in various cities where a series of banks were robbed all with matching MO's in the last few months." He handed Martin the folder. "We have reason to believe that the robberies are being orchestrated by Jimmy Wright."

Surprised, Martin accepted the folder but made no move to open it. "So you think Jimmy is back to robbing banks?"

Sitting down, Delmar leaned back in his worn leather chair and explained, "That's the thing: in all of these incidents it was the bank manager who performed the actual robbery."

Exasperated, Martin motioned with his hands. "Circling again…"

Taking a breath, Delmar sat forward and rested his hands on his desk. "What happens is a team of three men wearing ski masks break into the home of the bank manager after a bank holiday – Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving," he motioned to the decorations around the office, "Christmas. Typically, the deposits are larger after the bank has been closed since there was no one there to process the funds." Delmar looked at him to see if he understood and Martin nodded to continue since he was fully versed in how a bank operates. "What happens is they hold the manager's family hostage and threaten to kill everyone if the manager doesn't go to the bank, skim as much as possible from the vault and bring it back to them. In each case, the manager reported that he or she was instructed to open the bank as if it were business as usual and slowly remove money from the teller's cages as well as the main vault and ATM. Then before closing, they had to make up some excuse to leave before final balances were performed and bring the money back to the house. If they did as instructed, the family would be let go."

"How can they possibly know how much money they would get? For all they know, the manager can only get their hands on a few thousand," Martin asked, finally opening up the file. "Seems like a lot of risk for little guarantee."

"It seems to be working because all but one heist hauled in at least a three-hundred grand a piece."

"And the one that didn't?" Martin asked as he skimmed the pages in the file. When there was no immediate answer, he looked up to see Delmar's grim expression. "What happened?"

Delmar reached over and picked up another file and handed it to Martin as he darkly replied, "This is the only one where the manager was only able to get her hands on around nine thousand."

Flipping it open, Martin saw grisly crime scene photos of a murdered family: husband, wife, and two teenage daughters. Shaking his head at the senselessness of it all, he asked, "Why'd he pick that bank if the haul wasn't going to be as lucrative?"

"Well, on any other day it wouldn't have been very difficult for the manager to get her hands on the loot but on the day of the robbery, a bank auditor made a surprise visit." Delmar lowered his head and frowned. "It was virtually impossible for the manager to get her hands on any money without it being noticed. Hell, I'm surprised she got her hands on the nine grand."

Disgusted, Martin snapped the folder shut and tossed it back onto the desk. "So he killed the family when she came back with less than he wanted."

"That's the thing, according to the coroner's report the husband and kids were killed half way through the manager's shift at work."

"Why'd he kill them before the deadline?"

"My guess is he knew he wasn't going to get all the money he was expecting."

"How would he know?"

"See, each of the bank managers interviewed all shared the exact same scenario: the break-in, reporting to work and then a phone call every half hour with instructions on how much money to get and from which vault."

Slumping back into his seat, Martin rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, understanding where he was going. "So you're thinking that he has eyes on the inside that knew the comings and goings of the deposits? How's that possible?"

"There's the rub," Delmar responded, leaning back in his chair. "Of the seven banks robbed, there is no discernable connection. Each bank was in a different city with a different staff. No correlation." He shrugged. "We can't figure out how he does it."

"What about tapping into the video surveillance?" Martin suggested.

Delmar shook his head. "We checked but there is no sign that they were hacked."

"What makes you think Jimmy's the one involved and how does Kim figure into this? They all occurred after she and Jimmy parted ways," Martin countered, feeling strange that he suddenly felt defensive about the implication of Kim being involved in something like this.

Delmar hesitated. "We have footage of Jimmy in the last bank robbed the day before the heist. I know in my gut he's the guy."

Martin scoffed, "That's circumstantial at best and you know it."

"Which is why we concocted an undercover operation," Delmar explained, his eyes watching Martin carefully, gauging for a reaction. "We got some intel from a criminal informant in Pennsylvania that Jimmy is headed back to New York for one last big score. So we have made it known that one bank in particular is expecting record-breaking deposits. It's located on the corner of a major avenue with high-end department stores that will be open late on Christmas Eve. At that particular branch, we'll have an agent working undercover as the bank manager."

Neurons began firing in Martin's head, starting to make the connections but needed confirmation all the same. "And what's Kim's role in all of this?"

"I told you, she's working with us to catch Jimmy."

"How?" Martin asked, his brow furrowing into a deeper frown as he tried to figure out Kim's role in all of this.

"She's going undercover as the wife of a bank manager."

Martin stood up, suddenly feeling protective of the very woman he himself shot and arrested. "So you're using her as bait?"

"She's the best hope we have of making sure that Jimmy selects our bank to target," Delmar firmly replied, tapping his index finger on his desktop. "Think about it. He doesn't even know that she'd been arrested," he shot Martin a pointed look, "your father was very careful in keeping her arrest as quiet as possible." Shifting in his seat, he continued, "So by having her pose as the wife of the bank manager, it will be too tempting for him to resist. He'll think that she is happily married to someone completely ignorant of her past so he can blackmail her into being a willing accomplice. He knows she would never flip on him because it would destroy her own life in the process."

Shaking his head, Martin grabbed the back end of the chair and squeezed it so tight his knuckles turned white. "This is crazy. How can you be sure he won't just kill her when the job is done so he can cover all his loose ends? You're risking her life for a slight chance that your scenario will work."

"She'll be under 24-hour surveillance. Cameras will be placed strategically throughout the house where she and our undercover agent will be living. Plus, we rented the place directly behind where I will have a team of agents working around the clock to monitor things."

Martin looked away, his gut twisting as he considered all the flaws in the plan. Taking a breath and returning his attention to Delmar, he asked, "And what does she get in return?"

Licking his chapped lips, Delmar sighed. "The DA agreed to a deal: in exchange for her full cooperation and testimony against Wright, she will get a reduced sentence to time served and three years parole."

Martin stood there thinking that it was a great deal for her – impossible to refuse. She could start again; get a second chance. Despite it all, the idea of her rotting in prison weighed down his heart and left a sour taste in his mouth. He found himself hoping that this plan would work because in the end, after all was said and done he still had feelings for the woman and wanted her to be okay.

Straightening up, Martin declared, "I want in on the case."

Delmar adamantly shook his head. "No way. The Deputy Director was very clear on this issue. I shouldn't have even told you all that I did."

"Look, I started all of this by arresting Kim and I should be involved in how it ends," Martin retorted, his heart already thundering in his chest as he considered the ramifications of what he was saying. Resolved, he determinedly added, "I have to be."

Delmar slowly shook his head and softly stammered out, "I… I don't think…"

Cutting Delmar off, Martin stated sharply, "Forget about what my father told you. I'll talk to him. I'll get him to agree." Leaning in close, he gave Delmar a hard, unflinching look. "You have to let me in on this – I started it and I need to be the one to finish it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: Big thanks to Anmodo for all her beta help. Any remaining mistakes are likely the result of my inability to not stop tweaking right before posting.

Thanks to all of you who are willing to read this fic. I am always grateful to anyone willing to read one of my stories. Thanks so much.


	3. Like hell you are

Chapter 2

~*~*~*~

"_I hate you...and then I love you. It's like I want to throw you off a cliff… then rush to the bottom to catch you." ~ Unknown_

~*~*~*~

"Don't you know it's against bureau policy to use the computers for personal use?" Danny quipped as he leaned over Elena's shoulder with his eyes on her computer monitor. She had the page open to Amazon, scrolling through the toy section. "Unless of course you find that doll for Sofie; in which case, please continue."

"Sorry, they are sold out and don't expect to have any to ship until the day after Christmas." Elena tilted her head to look at him, a beatific smile on her face. "Maybe we can convince her that Santa is postponing delivery."

Chuckling, Danny replied, "Nah, she's too smart. She'll never buy it." Taking a quick look around to make sure no one was looking, he leaned in and kissed her quickly before pulling back. "So the hunt continues."

Swiveling her chair, Elena turned around to face him completely. "So what brings you up here?" She cocked her eyebrow and gave him a knowing look. "Other than just saying hello, of course."

Sitting on the edge of her desk, Danny crossed his arms and leaned in close enough to breathe in her perfume. "Martin had to make some copies so I thought I would accompany him and say hello to my girl in the process."

"Well, that was very sweet," Elena replied as she reached out to playfully tug on his fingers, his gold wedding band glinting against the overhead lights. She shifted in her chair and craned her head in the direction of the copy room. "So is he still here? I wanted to ask him if he had any contacts with the State Department."

"That guy has a friend everywhere," Danny replied, following her eye line and frowning when there was no sign of Martin. Deflated, he muttered, "Man, I told him to come get me when he was done." He stood up and his eyes darted around to see where he might have went when he spotted Martin stepping out of SAC Delmar's office with a determined look on his face. Delmar exited immediately after and the two men became engaged in an intense conversation. "What the…?"

Elena stood up, her gaze fixed on Martin as well. "Why's he talking to someone in Bank Robbery Task Force?" She turned to face Danny, inquisitive eyebrow raised. "I thought you didn't have a case right now."

"We don't," Danny replied. He stared at Martin and Delmar, his mind spinning as he tried to figure out what the two men were discussing. It wasn't unusual for agents from different units to talk but something in Danny's gut and the look on Martin's face told him that their conversation wasn't social.

"Well, let's go find out," Elena replied, taking a step in their direction. "Besides, I really do need to talk to him."

"Yeah," Danny agreed, getting in step alongside his wife.

They moved down the hallway past the conference room, both of their gazes fixed on Delmar and Martin when out of the corner of his eye Danny caught sight of a familiar figure seated in the conference room: Kim Marcus. She was talking with an agent that Danny recognized from Delmar's unit and suddenly the pieces of the puzzle slowly started to come into place.

"Is that who I think it is?" Elena asked, slowing down to get a better look into the conference room.

"Yeah," Danny breathed, his gut twisted tight at the sight of the woman who caused his friend so much grief. Breaking his gaze, he and Elena continued towards Delmar's office.

"I appreciate this," Martin said to Delmar as they approached from behind.

"Appreciate what?"

Martin turned around, obviously surprised at Danny and Elena's presence. "Hey."

"Hey," Danny briskly replied, giving Martin a hard look before glancing over at Delmar. He didn't know the SAC very well beyond the fact that he was one of the few men that he could literally see eye-to-eye with, if only on the height level. "Hello Agent Delmar."

"Agent Taylor," Delmar replied, his gaze drifting over to Elena. "I heard you guys are working the Clevenger case. How's it going? We're you able to connect him to the illegal wire transfers to China?"

Elena smiled politely. "We're working on it." She gestured to Martin and added, "I actually was hoping to get some help from Martin."

"Well, then I'll leave you with Fitzgerald," Delmar replied, sharing a look with Martin. "I'm heading to the conference room for the debriefing."

Martin nodded. "I'll be right there."

As soon as Delmar was out of earshot, Danny folded his arms and gave Martin a hard look – not able to able to hide the deep frown etched into his brow. "What the hell is going on?" He leaned in and darkly added, "Please tell me that you aren't about to do something stupid."

Raising her hand to silently indicate for him to calm down, Elena gently amended, "What Danny means is that we are wondering why you are meeting with Delmar and if it has anything to do with Kim Marcus."

"I know what I meant, Elena," Danny corrected, ignoring the irritated look on his wife's face. "And I just want to make sure my friend here doesn't make another dumb mistake when it comes to that woman."

Martin had the decency to look guilty before replying, "Sorry, I can't do that." Danny geared up for an argument when Martin quickly added, "But I'm not going to make a 'dumb mistake.' Delmar's putting together a task force to get Jimmy Wright…" Danny and Elena listened as Martin explained why BRTF was investigating Jimmy and how Kim figured into the operation. "So, I convinced Delmar to let me in on the case."

Giving him a pointed look, Danny asked, "Doing what exactly?"

Martin shrugged. "Whatever he needs: research, helping out with surveillance…"

Giving him a pointed look, Danny reiterated, "But why does it need to be you?"

Knowing that he was on the hook, Martin fidgeted uncomfortably and glanced around, looking at everyone and everything except Danny. "I… I need to be sure that it's handled…correctly."

Emboldened, Danny stepped closer and tried to block Martin's eye line, forcing him to look at him. "I repeat, why? Why do you have to be involved? Delmar and his team can handle it."

"Kim struck a good deal, but it's high risk." He folded his arms and held them protectively to him, looking guarded as if he couldn't even fool himself with his rationalizations. "I just want to make sure it goes by the book."

"You can keep saying that, but we both know it's not because of the case. It's because of _her_."

"Danny," Elena gently warned.

"No, he needs to be reminded of what she put him through," Danny argued as his eyes quickly darted to Elena before refocusing on Martin who just stood there quietly, working his jaw uncertainly. "Martin, you're too close. You're emotionally connected to Kim and you can't be objective."

Bristled by the harsh criticism, Martin bounced back, "I'm the one who pushed the case forward. Not to mention I was the one who shot and arrested her. I think I know where to draw the line between my personal feelings and my professional obligations…"

"Damn it, Martin. I was there that night and I know you want to do the right thing but," he pointed down the hall to the conference room, "I also know that woman makes you blur what right is…"

~*~

"…_need a bus sent to Beckett Storage," Danny said into his cell phone as he made his way to the bureau sedan. He listened as the operator confirmed that units would be dispatched immediately before hanging up. He clicked the end button on his iPhone and studied it for a beat, trying to decide if he should call Jack himself or let Martin deal with it when he heard footsteps headed in his direction._

_Danny turned around in time to see Martin emerge from inside the warehouse carrying a limp and wounded Kim in his arms. The men's eyes met, Danny giving Martin a hard, questioning look before Martin averted his eyes, focusing again on Kim._

_He watched as Martin set Kim down on the loading dock and quickly yanked off his jacket. He bundled it up and used it as a pillow for Kim before he began inspecting her wounds. _

_Stepping closer, Danny slipped his phone into his pocket as he studied Kim. She was sweating and her breathing was labored as a pained expression crossed her face when Martin lifted the fabric of her shirt to take a closer look. Her eyes drifted over to Danny, a scared, nervous look in her eyes. He also noticed that she wasn't handcuffed, as was protocol for any suspect who pulled a weapon on an agent. _

_Unclipping his own handcuffs, Danny stepped closer when Martin looked over at him and asked, "Can you go get the first aid kit from the trunk of the car?" _

_Danny held up the cuffs. "Martin, you know the rules."_

_Martin shook his head. "She's not going anywhere like this." He pressed his palm to her shoulder to try and stop the bleeding. "Please just get me the kit."_

_Danny hesitated, uncertain. He didn't want to leave the woman bleeding out but it made him nervous that not only was Martin refusing to handcuff but also being exceptionally gentle with her. Despite his better judgment, he relented and jogged to the car and popped the trunk. He pulled out the red bag, slammed the trunk closed and rushed back towards Martin and Kim. _

"_Here you go," he said as he set the bag down by Kim's feet, thinking that considering she had moments earlier turned to aim her weapon at him was far more generous than she deserved. His gaze met Kim's and he spotted a glint of fear in her eyes. It was clear she was in pain but also very nervous at what this all meant for her. He gave her a hard, skeptical look so she turned away to face Martin and took a deep breath. _

"_Thanks," Martin said as he unzipped the bag and pulled out a package of gauze. He peeled apart the wrapper, removing the bright white cotton falling out and pressing it to Kim's shoulder. It was disconcerting seeing his friend so focused on the woman who had lied and deceived him so egregiously. Gritting his teeth, Danny stepped back but lingered close-by, warily observing. Kim grimaced as Martin's hand pressed down on her injury and whispered, "You're gonna be okay. It's just a flesh wound." He offered her a lame smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I have good aim."_

_She nodded and swallowed down the pain, looking as surprised by his tenderness as Danny was. She looked up at Martin and croaked out, "Kinda reminds of the day we met."_

_Danny watched as Martin's jaw tightened, an anguished expression crossing his face. He attempted to smile back at her but failed, biting his lip instead as he simply nodded slowly, keeping his eyes trained on her wound. His entire body appeared heavy, weighted down by disappointment, unfulfilled hopes, and regret. _

_Sensing an opportunity, Danny cleared his throat. "Martin, we need to call Jack."_

_Martin nodded but didn't reply right away, his gaze still fixed on his hand that was still pressing down on Kim's gunshot wound. He had some of her blood on his hands and as it dried, it turned a dark shade of maroon against Martin's pale skin. It didn't take an intuitive leap to see Martin's mind was racing with what this all meant for him and his career. They had taken a great chance trying to keep his connection to Kim as quiet as possible but as soon as the bullet left Martin's gun, any hope of keeping it under the radar was eliminated._

_Licking his lips, Martin swallowed, thinking. "Can you do it?" he asked at last. _

_Instinctively, Danny's gaze flew towards Kim's face. She was lying there quietly, as still as possible with her eyes darting uncertainly between the two men. Folding his arms, Danny shifted his weight foot to foot as he considered how to reply. He could see Martin was conflicted by all that had come to pass but he also knew that he was the one who needed to reign him in, reminding him that in this situation he did what he had to do and more importantly, remind him that Kim's actions were the catalyst for all of this and in the end, Martin had done the right thing. _

_Taking a deep breath, Danny carefully said, "You know that when Jack finds out he's going to have a lot of questions and you're the only one who can give him the answers."_

"_I know, I know," Martin mumbled, shaking his head, confliction evident on his face. He took a deep breath, his gaze drifted back to Kim's face and their eyes met as they shared a silent exchange – about what exactly, only they knew. _

"_Martin?" Danny prompted, trying to draw his friend's attention back to the real situation at hand._

_After a beat, Martin's jaw tightened and he dropped his chin, clenching his eyes shut. "Danny, please just do it." With his head still bowed, he opened his eyes and looked over. "I just can't deal with that right now," he explained, his words taut and morose. _

_Releasing a heavy breath, Danny studied his friend's sorrow-filled face. He didn't want to do it but at this moment, knowing how difficult this all was for Martin, in the end he surrendered. _

_He nodded and started to step off to make the call but not before shooting Kim a final look to silently let her know that he was keeping an eye on her. She shrunk under his dark stare and bit her lip as she rolled her head to the side. Reaching into his pocket, Danny pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jack's number. With each ring, the nervous knot in his stomach grew tighter and tighter. _

"_Malone," Jack's gruff voice answered. _

_And again, the knot tightened. Trying to steady his nerves, Danny shakily and entirely too cheerily greeted, "Hey Jack, I hope I'm not disturbing you."_

"_That depends, what's going on?"_

"_I, uh," Danny stammered, dreading with how to begin this conversation. He looked back over towards Martin and Kim in time to see her reach up and touch Martin's ear. Damn, he thought, this is not good. "I wanted to let you know that Martin and I were, uh, we were involved in a shooting…"_

_Jack was quiet a beat, clearly stunned by Danny's statement before quickly asking, "What? What are you talking about? Are you alright?" _

"_Yeah, yeah, we're fine…" Danny apprehensively replied, hoping that the fact that they were okay would help when he told Jack what had transpired. _

"_So what the hell happened?" Jack demanded; any relief at knowing they were okay clearly truncated by his need to know why his agents were involved in a shooting. "I just talked to Viv and she said that they found Keith Baldwin and Ross Haber was under arrest."_

_Danny gulped as the knot constricted. "No, actually this was a, uh, a separate thing."_

"_What in the hell do you mean 'separate thing'?" Jack snapped back. _

"_It's kinda hard to explain…" Danny replied, running his hand over his head and resting it on the back of his neck. "See, uh…" he started, searching for the right words as he was reminded why Martin should have been the one to make the call. _

"_You know what, save it until I get there," Jack grumbled. In the background, Danny heard the sound of an elevator and surmised that Jack was boarding the one at the office. "Just tell me where in the hell you are."_

"_Beckett Storage on…" Danny began before being promptly cut off._

"_I know where it is," Jack interrupted. "I'm on my way. I want the two of you to stay put and don't do a damn thing until I get there."_

"_Ye…" Danny started to reply when the line went dead. _

_Releasing a heavy, audible sigh, Danny pressed the 'END' button on his iPhone and dropped it back in his pocket when he spotted flashing lights in the distance. He walked out to the middle of the street to wave the ambulance and police cars towards where they were. Soon, local PD and EMTs crowded around, cordoning off the area. Danny began talking to the sergeant in charge, trying as vaguely as possible to explain what had happened with just enough detail as to who Kim was and why the FBI was pursuing her. As he did, he watched as two EMTs got to work on Kim with Martin observing close-by. At that moment, Martin looked over and the two men's eyes met; worry evident in both their eyes but about what part of this fiasco exactly remained unclear. _

"_Seems pretty straight up," the sergeant commented, jotting notes into his pad. "So can I assume that you Feds are handling the arrest?"_

"_Uh, yeah." Danny reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to the officer. "If you have any questions, just gimme a call."_

"_Will do," the sergeant replied as he turned on his heels and walked back towards his car. _

_Danny looked around, surveying the situation. Judging by the looks of the officers, they seemed to believe this was a standard bureau-related arrest. Releasing a relieved breath, Danny turned around to see Martin shuffling towards him. Danny noticed that Martin's eyes continually flickered back over to where Kim was being loaded onto a stretcher. _

"_I'm going with Kim to the hospital," Martin said as he neared. It wasn't a question or a request but a flat out declaration that left very little room for negotiation. _

_But Danny wasn't willing to let him slip away so easily. Squaring his shoulders, he firmly reminded, "Like hell you are. We… you need to wait for Jack."_

_Martin frowned in acknowledgment of what Danny was saying before looking over towards the ambulance where the EMTs prepared to lift Kim into the rear. "I have to go with her." _

"_Why? She's a con artist, Martin. Why are you still treating her like…?" Danny paused as he looked over to where Kim was being examined and, with a lowered voice, finished, "like she's your girlfriend?" He returned his attention to Martin only to see his friend watching Kim with concern. Frustrated at how blatantly clear how compromised Martin was around her, he gave him a small shove to try and get him to focus. "She's playing on your sympathy again and you're falling for it. Don't forget less than fifteen minutes ago she tried to escape and pulled a gun on us."_

"_I know," Martin replied before glancing between Danny and Kim, a conflicted look on his face before his gaze landed back on Danny. "And I know how much you risked tonight just helping me." He took a deep breath and licked his lips as he offered up an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I drug you into this and I know I owe you but I'm going with her." He frowned and with sad eyes, added, "No matter what, she still meant something to me and… I just have to make sure she is going to be okay."_

_Martin gave him a final look before walking back to where Kim was being lifted into the ambulance. Staring at his retreating form, Danny shouted, "And what am I supposed to tell Jack?"_

_Not stopping in his tracks but simply turning around and walking backwards, Martin replied, "Tell him whatever you want – either way we both know he's not going to be happy with me and I'll be lucky to have a job tomorrow," he spun back around and continued towards the ambulance. "I'd just as soon wait until the morning to find out."_

_Danny stood there staring in disbelief as Martin helped the EMT lift Kim's stretcher into the back of the ambulance before climbing in behind her. Danny clenched his fists thinking that he should run over and drag Martin out of the bus and knock some sense into him but he also knew there was no point – he was in no position to be reasoned with. _

_One of the EMTs slammed the back doors of the ambulance before walking around and getting into the drivers seat and pulling away. Danny stared at the tail lights of the ambulance as they disappeared around the corner. He stood there for a few beats worried about the fact that Martin was continuing to make bad choices because of one woman. Sighing, he reached up to scratch the back of his head and as he turned around he spotted familiar looking sedan pull up and Jack step out. _

_Dread pumped through Danny's veins as he stared at Jack's stoic, stern face. He suddenly felt like that teenager having to face Sister Mary Paul after getting caught writing graffiti in the boy's restroom. Deciding to face the one man firing squad, Danny started towards Jack when he spotted the beat cop from earlier intercept Jack first. _

_Taking slow, steady steps towards the two men and as he neared he overheard the uniformed officer tell Jack, "…don't worry, it looks pretty much by the book so I'll send my report to you tomorrow morning." He extended his hand to Jack, who eyed Danny as he approached before reluctantly shaking it. With a grin on his face, the officer commented, "Nice job."_

"_Thank you, we appreciate your cooperation," Jack replied. To the untrained ear, he sounded polite and professional but Danny knew him well enough to recognize the hard edge to his voice. He motioned to Danny and told the patrolman, "Now if you don't mind, I need to speak to my agents in private."_

"_Of course," the officer complied as he nodded at the two men before walking towards his nearby police vehicle. _

_While he could tell that he and Martin were in loads of trouble, he was thankful that in front of everyone else, Jack was the consummate professional and had their backs. Unfortunately, Danny couldn't count on someone else being around all the time so deciding to just bite the bullet, Danny quickly said, "Jack, we never meant…" _

_Jack's hand flew up. "Save the excuses." He glanced around to make sure no one was listening as he quietly asked, "Just explain to me why you and Martin were chasing a suspect in a bank robbery from over a year ago." He glanced around, surveying the area. "Who was it by the way?"_

"_Kim Marcus," he answered, impressed at how level his voice sounded._

_Jack stared back at him, narrowing his eyes. "Kim Marcus from the jury case?"_

_Danny nodded, almost afraid to breathe at being under Jack's dark gaze, and went on to explain what Martin had told him about Kim: from that day at the cabin when she pulled a gun and his concealing it to their subsequent relationship and all that Martin learned about her connection to a series of bank robberies. He spoke fast and quick, almost tumbling over his words as the more he shared the angrier Jack seemed to get. When he was done, he stood there, waiting for Jack's wrath to be unleashed. _

_He watched as Jack's face scrunched up in fury, the vein on his temple throbbing so hard he could see it. With his nostrils flared, Jack evenly asked, "Where in the hell is Martin now?"_

"_He, uh," Danny stammered, glancing in the direction where the ambulance had long disappeared before turning to face Jack again. "He went to the hospital with Kim."_

"_Are you telling me he's not here?" Jack asked, incredulous. _

_Trying to stall and cover for his friend, he lied, "He thought he should accompany her in order to get a full statement."_

"_Did I or did I not specify that you were both to stay put until I got here?" _

_He gulped at being the target of Jack's menacing glare. "Yes, you did." _

"_So are you telling me that Martin ignored what I said?" Jack clarified, waves of anger rolling off of his stocky frame. "He created this mess and just left me to clean it up?"_

_Danny had enough sense to not answer or rationalize or explain but simply shrug affirmatively. Besides he knew Martin shouldn't have gone and tried to warn him. He just hated that he was the one stuck dealing with Jack's fury right now. _

_Clenching his fists, Jack growled, "So that's it? You guys just go off and conduct your own unauthorized investigation and contact me when the shit hits the fan?" _

_Danny knew Jack would be pissed, but witnessing Jack's reaction made him feel annoyed as well as uneasy. On one hand, he understood Jack's anger that he wasn't informed of what his agents were doing but by the same token, considering how many times Jack had gone vigilante, Danny wondered why the man couldn't seem to empathize with Martin even a little. After all, during the review of Jack's actions during the Jennifer Long case, next to Sam, Martin was Jack's staunchest supporter._

_But despite his annoyance and Danny being who he was, he still felt compelled to make things right or explain himself. "It all happened really fast, Jack. I'm sorry we didn't tell you but we wanted to keep it as low key as possible…" _

_Jack bore his eyes into him. "Oh yeah, this is much better. I love it when my agents get involved in a shooting and the local beat cop knows more about what's going on than I do!"_

"_Jack, I'm sorry…" He attempted to seem contrite even though the angrier Jack seemed to get the more annoyed Danny became. _

"_Stop talking," Jack ordered, huffing out a grunted breath. His nostrils were flaring as he looked around, his eyes landing on the CSI unit headed into the warehouse. Danny stood still, nervously waiting for what would come next when Jack collected his thoughts and said, "This is what I want you to do: I will stay here and do damage control to try and keep this as contained as I can. I want you to go to the hospital and tell Martin that he better be prepared to explain his actions to me first thing in the morning. I will do what I can here but you better believe we are going to have a sit down conversation on your mutual stupidity in the morning."_

_Jack gave him a final curt nod of dismissal before disappearing into the warehouse. _

_Danny ran his hand over his face, sighing heavily he wondered just how much he and Martin would have to pay because for Kim Marcus' lies. _

~*~

"… and you paid the price or don't you remember the ass reaming Jack gave us the next morning?" Danny finished.

"Look I get it," Martin replied, sounding more put out than in agreement. "And I appreciate your concern but I need to do this."

"Screw appreciation, Martin," Danny bitterly responded, doing his best to ignore the pointed warning looks Elena continued to shoot in his direction. "You weren't the only one who risked a lot during Kim's arrest and knows that increased involvement won't help."

"I know," he replied, abashed.

Giving him a level look, he accused, "Do you?"

"Yes, I do," Martin countered as he took a deep breath. He worked his jaw, his eyes shifting between Danny and Elena before finally saying, "I can't explain it but I know I have to do this. It's the only way I can close this chapter entirely." He took a step back as he added, "You're just gonna have to trust me."

With his shoulders slumped, Danny breathed, "It's not you I'm worried about. It's her."

Martin held up his head, refusing to be drawn any further. "I'm just helping out, that's it. It'll be fine," he replied, his words lacking conviction. Danny shook his head in disbelief as Martin sighed and gestured down the hallway. "Look, I have to get to the conference room. You can come along and see what this is all about or stay here but either way, I'm doing this."

Signaling that the conversation was over, Martin gave Elena a tense smile before moving down the hallway towards the conference room.

Running her hand along his shoulder, Elena quietly asked, "You gonna go, too?"

Danny wanted to say no, that he was tired of having to talk sense to Martin but the truth was, he also knew that the responsibility fell on his shoulders; his and his alone. Releasing a resolved sigh, he looked at his wife and grumbled, "What other choice do I have?"

Smiling, Elena leaned in and kissed him. Pulling back, she ran her hand through the back of his hair and murmured, "You're a good friend."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled as he got in step and followed Martin to the conference room. He looked over his shoulder to see Elena give him an encouraging wave before turning around and heading back to her desk.

He and Martin reached the conference room at the same time so he waited until Martin opened the door before entering ahead of him, giving him a perturbed look as he passed. Inside, about fifteen agents had gathered and all eyes were focused on Delmar speaking at the front of the room so they quietly moved towards the rear and stood against the back wall.

"We have received confirmation from our CI that Wright is already on his way to New York so time is of the essence…" Delmar announced.

As he continued updating the agents on the case status, Danny listened idly with his arms crossed and leaning against the wall. However, as much as he wanted to learn more about Delmar's operation, he was increasingly distracted by the fact that Martin's gaze kept flickering to the back of Kim's head. On more than one occasion, he would dart his eyes away when he caught Danny watching him.

"Now, we've already arranged to have GNB's bank manager visit family out of town and Agent Ronald Dunlop will be named as his replacement under the alias Ronald Granger who will be married to one Kim Granger aka Kim Marcus." Delmar motioned to a portly man in his early fifties sitting across from Kim. Danny eyed the agent who he vaguely recognized from Bank Fraud. He was short, had pale red hair that was thinning on top, and wore thick glasses. He was one of those men who was accepted into the FBI because of his intelligence but once admitted, was generally confined to an office to do research. Not that anyone seemed to mind since as Danny recalled that during his one interaction with the guy he had the sense of humor of a damp sponge.

Danny looked over at Martin, the two men sharing an unspoken look that read, 'That's the guy they assigned to pretend to be married to Kim?' They both knew that in reality, the only way someone who looked like Kim would be married to a guy like Dunlop is if he was rich – or a hypnotist.

Delmar motioned to Dunlop. "Would you like to review how you'll be handling things at the bank?"

"Certainly," Dunlop replied in a flat, monotone voice. Danny couldn't help but think the guy only said one word and he was already bored. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as he imagined Kim having to pretend to be married to him. Maybe that was her real punishment in all of this. Dunlop moved to the front of the room and began reading off a small note card, his eyeglasses sliding down to the tip of his nose. Seeing someone who was supposedly going under cover using a reference sheet did not fill Danny, or any other agents in the room, with confidence. "I'll meet up with the Asst. Bank manager on Friday morning. She has been made aware of the FBI's operation and that it must stay between just the two of us. Until we find out how he is able to get inside intel, we need as little people aware of the operation as possible." Lifting his head, Dunlop reached up to push his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "Now, she has also been informed of my faux marriage to Karen…"

Danny cringed at hearing Dunlop forgetting Kim's name and beside him, he heard Martin release an annoyed breath.

"Kim," Delmar gently corrected, pointing to Kim for clarification. "Her name is Kim."

"Oh, yes," Dunlop replied, smiling at Kim. "My apologies." Starting again, Dunlop continued, "At the bank I will still act as a bank manager in every sense of the word. I will manage the banks day to day operations, supervise employees, etc. Now, we will want to make my role as visible as possible so I will spend as much time on the bank floor as possible." He paused and Danny wasn't sure if it was for emphasis or because he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say next when Dunlop started speaking again, "In the evenings I will pretend to be the devoted husband of Kendra…"

"Kim," Delmar corrected again and Danny detected a tone somewhere between irritation and concern.

"Right, again, sorry," Dunlop stammered, his normally pale white face blushing brightly.

Danny stole a look at Martin who was shaking his head with frustration at how often and easily Dunlop forgot Kim's name.

"You've got to be kidding me," Martin whispered out of the corner of his mouth, his gaze still facing forward.

"Sorry," Dunlop said, shaking his head and chuckling awkwardly. "I don't know why I keep doing that; must be my nerves." He wrung his hands nervously and smiled at Kim, revealing his tiny corn like teeth. "Please forgive me, Karla."

"KIM!" the entire room shouted back.

Dunlop blanched at the very public correction. It was abundantly obvious that he was not prepared for the task of going undercover. Danny actually found himself worried about how well this sting would turn out if the main agent going undercover couldn't even get the name of his wife straight when Martin spoke up.

"You cannot seriously think this will work with Dunlop going undercover," Martin announced, incredulous.

Kim shifted in her seat, a stunned expression on her face at hearing Martin's voice. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Martin, looking as if she was both equally shocked and relieved by his presence. Danny watched as she locked eyes with Martin, a wave of nervous tension traveling across the room. The room was almost hushed into silence at seeing them staring at each other as time slowed, a connection passing between them crackling with heated energy.

Doing his best to ignore it, Martin swallowed and refocused his attention back to Dunlop and Delmar. "Dunlop's clearly not ready to go undercover tomorrow. He can barely remember her name, how's he supposed to convince complete strangers they're married much less Jimmy Wright?"

"Maybe I could call her by a nickname?" Dunlop suggested, grasping for any way to redeem himself for his earlier mistakes. "You know, something like 'dear,' 'honey' or 'sweetheart'?"

Kim gave Dunlop a small smile of reassurance but there was no mistaking the look in her eyes revealing that she secretly hated the idea.

Delmar worked his jaw and gave Martin a long, hard stare. "Agent Fitzgerald, We did not assign Dunlop on some whim. This case not only requires an agent who is fully knowledgeable on banking policies and procedures but is also available to go undercover 24/7 through Christmas." He gave an encouraging nod to Dunlop. "We will figure out a way to make this work." He rested his arms on his hips and tersely added, "So unless you can offer some constructive advice, I would prefer for you to remain quiet."

"You want some advice?" Martin asked, jutting his chin out defiantly. He looked at Kim, a flash of inspiration in his eyes, and Danny immediately guessed where he was headed. Danny reached out to try and stop him but before he could, Martin continued, "I recommend you send me undercover instead."


	4. And then he was gone

Chapter 3

~*~*~*~

_In the night, I hear them talk, the coldest story ever told  
Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul  
To a woman so heartless_

~ Heartless (Swinghouse Session) by The Fray

~*~*~*~

At seeing Martin's face, Kim's heart started pounding so furiously in her chest she was certain that the agent sitting next to her could hear it. She shifted slowly in her seat to get a better look at him, her entire body trembling with both excitement and fear. Delmar had made it abundantly clear that Martin wasn't going to be affiliated in any way, shape or form with the case. She didn't have to ask to know that it was because Martin had already risked so much in his association with her that he needed to be as far removed from her as possible.

And yet, here he was.

Their eyes met and time seemed to stand still, flashes of their all too brief time together appearing in her mind's eye. Forgetting how to breathe, she stared at the man who had been haunting her dreams for the last few months. He looked the same but older, worn down, sad. His blue eyes weren't as bright and there were creases around them now that made him look older, wearier. His easy smile was replaced by a stoic frown and his golden glow was now pale and dreary. His entire body seemed heavier, subdued and burdened. Her chest tightened knowing that she was most likely the sole cause for the change.

She stared at him as pangs of guilt, remorse, excitement, and nervousness swelled up inside of her. She was so enthralled at seeing his face that it took her a moment to notice the man standing to Martin's right: Danny Taylor. He narrowed his steely eyes at her and she wanted to disappear into her seat.

"Outside," Delmar barked, pointing to the door.

Kim tensed up, watching as Delmar stalked out of the conference room followed by Martin. Danny got in step behind Martin but not before glaring at her as he exited the room.

As soon as they were gone, all around her she could hear the other agents murmuring and gossiping, talking about what Martin's motivations were and why he volunteered to go undercover. Eventually all pairs of eyes drifted over to look at her, casting judgmental looks in her direction. She lowered her eyes, doing her best to focus on her glass of water sitting on the table.

"If I were Fitzgerald, I'd want to play house with her again, too," one of the agents murmured under his breath but loud enough for her to hear.

"You got that right," another agent replied, chuckling.

Despite herself, Kim glanced over in the direction of the conversation in time to catch the two men ogling at her from across the table. They stared at her, giving her crude appraising looks as they scanned their eyes over her. One of the agents waggled his eyebrows, admiring the view and there was no mistaking the gleam in his eye. He licked his lips as if he was picturing her in his mind and she felt the taste of bile in her mouth.

She shot him a look of disgust and quickly turned her head to look out the window into the hallway. She watched as Martin spoke with Delmar, a look of determination on his face. She was taken off guard that he would volunteer to spend so much time with her considering the last time she saw him he made it abundantly clear he never wanted to see her again…

~*~

_Kim roused slowly, the scent of disinfectant and sterilization filling her senses. It took her a moment to remember where she was, her eyes blinking as she took in her surroundings. She was lying on a hospital bed in the dimly lit room; the only sources of light were coming from the small fixture mounted above the headboard of her bed and the soft glow from the hospital hallway. Judging by the darkness outside, the window and the lack of noise or activity, she guessed it was that quiet time between no longer being night, but still not quite ready to be considered day. She swallowed and sighed heavily sinking into the bed, the coarse fabric of the hospital gown scratching her skin. There was a dull throbbing feeling in her shoulder and her vision was blurry at first, so she blinked a few times to find focus and when she did, there was Martin. _

_He sat by her bed in a stiff pale blue recliner, the darkness of the room shrouding his face in shadows. Wordlessly, she scooted up a few inches and stared back at him. His normally bright blue eyes were as dark as a sky after a storm. They watched each other warily, uncertainty weighing heavily in the air. _

"_How do you feel?" he asked at last. _

"_Sore, fuzzy," she quietly answered. She looked down at her hands, the IV tube taped onto her skin and an ID bracelet dangling limply from her wrist. Fully awake now, she glanced around the room that looked like any other hospital: bed, chair, TV mounted on the wall, and a small cabinet near a door to a small private bathroom. When her eyes drifted past Martin to the open door, she spotted a uniformed officer guarding the door. He was seated on a stiff orange chair, his focus fixed on the crossword puzzle in his hands. Licking her lips, she carefully asked, "Is he here for me?"_

_Following her gaze, Martin looked over his shoulder and answered, "For now, yes." He turned to look back at her. "We'll need to talk to Detective Bensinger and the DA in the morning and see which agency will handle your case." _

"_I see," she breathed, closing her eyes and sighing heavily as she wondered what would become of her now that she had been caught. She was surprised that while being incredibly anxious about her fate, there was also a part of her that was relieved that the running was over. It was done. Despite her intense anxiety about being arrested, having her long time secret exposed to the air, gave her room to breathe._

_It was quiet for a beat, the air thick with silence when Martin's heavy voice filled the space between them. "I can…" he paused, as he searched for his words, "If you tell me the truth, I can try and call in some favors to try and get you placed in a minimum security Federal Prison." _

_She opened her eyes to look at him. Her first instinct, the one that every molecule of her body was screaming for her to follow, was to lie, lie, lie and when confronted with the truth, lie some more. So she opened her mouth to spin a new yarn when she saw Martin's eyes studying her sadly, looking so heartbroken and ready to be disappointed by her once more tonight. His pained voice echoed in her ears, pleading, 'Stop lying to me!' and a fissure split up inside of her, sending a painful ache through her body. _

_So with a shaky breath she spilled out, "I never wanted anyone to get hurt."_

_Looking caught off guard by her honesty, he leaned in closer and asked, "What happened?"_

_Swallowing the lump in her throat, she began, "I'd been dating Jimmy for a few months and I thought he was dark and mysterious. Turns out, I was just stupid." She fidgeted with the pale pink blanket on the bed before giving Martin a pointed look and clarifying, "I didn't know exactly what he did when we started dating, he kept saying he did freelance work but he was always very private and didn't like it when I asked too many questions. One day, I walked into his bedroom and he had stacks of money on his bed, getting ready to put into this safe he kept in his closet. When I asked him about it, he shoved me out of the room saying it was none of my business. I didn't like him getting so physical with me so I threatened to break-up with him and he got so angry," she paused, her eyes shut tight at the visceral memory of his arms squeezing her arms. "He slapped me across the face and told me that only he can say when it would be over between us."_

"_Why'd you stay with someone like that?" _

"_I thought I loved him," she replied, unsure exactly herself. "Or maybe I just didn't want to be alone. I don't know." She sat up, wincing as her shoulder brushed the stiff hospital pillow. She noticed that Martin started to stand up to help her before thinking otherwise and dropping back into his chair. "Afterwards, he lavished me with gifts and apologized for losing his temper with me." Martin nodded slightly as he clenched his jaw. "About a month later, my mom had her first stroke." She swallowed, her throat getting increasingly sore with each word she spoke. "She lost almost all motor function and didn't have any insurance. She needed full-time care and Medicaid only covers so much." She stopped talking to try and dislodge the lump in her throat as the memory of her mother looking so frail and weak filled her mind. "I had to put her in a state run facility and it was just such a depressing place. I wanted her somewhere good, someplace where the nurses seemed to actually care about the patients. But I was barely scraping by as it was with my income and paying back my student loans, rent…" _

_She stopped talking to try and regain her composure, tears welling in the corner of her eyes. She pursed her lips and looked over at Martin who was wringing his hands nervously. _

"_And?" he gently urged for her to continue. _

"_And I was desperate to get money to help her," she shakily replied, pulling the blanket up and holding it close. "So I asked Jimmy for a loan. I mean, I knew he had cash, right." Her lips curved up into a bitter smile. "He told me no, but said he knew of a way to help me get all the money I needed to help put her in a top notch facility. That he lost one of his workers recently and needed some help. I asked how one job could possibly pay so well and he explained that it was because it was dangerous."_

"_He asked you to help rob banks," Martin speculated. _

_She nodded, a few tears falling from her eyes. She wiped them away and continued, "When he told me that, I tried to walk away – I really did." This time the tears were falling faster than she could wipe them away. Wordlessly, Martins walked across the room and picked up a box of tissues. He pulled several out as he came back to her bed and held them out for her. With shaky fingers she took them, giving him a grateful look. "But a few days later, my mom had another stroke and just got sicker…"_

"_And that's when you agreed to drive the getaway car," Martin guessed, bowing his head. _

"_I was only supposed to drive the car that one time," she lamented, frustration still billowing over at how quickly her entire life unraveled because of one incredibly stupid decision born out of desperation. "Jimmy told me that his crew was good and would be in and out in a matter of minutes with no complications. But on that day – that one damn day – he ended up shooting that security guard." _

"_I didn't even know what had happened until we were already driving away. Jimmy had me pull into an alley a few blocks from the bank and he and the other guys all climbed out saying we would meet later at a bar near his apartment," Kim explained, still remembering the hours she spent sitting in the back booth of the smoky bar waiting for him or anyone else from his team to arrive. She sat in the corner booth as instructed, staring at the door, her eyes searching out for a familiar face with each patron who entered. She still felt so foolish sitting there waiting for them and fending off the drunken advances of slimy men asking why a pretty girl like her was sitting all alone. "I sat there until last call but no one ever showed." Her voice cracked as she finished, "I risked everything and ended up with nothing. _

_Martin sat there quietly absorbing what she had just said. "Why didn't you disappear, too? You had to know that the police would come around asking questions." _

_She wiped her nose with a tissue, her face feeling flushed with emotion. "I couldn't. I was still broke and I had my mom to worry about." _

"_So when you talked to Detective Frank Bensinger it wasn't a total lie. You really had no idea where Jimmy had gone?" _

"_I was so scared talking to him. I didn't want to go to jail and I really didn't know where Jimmy went. The only reason I was at his apartment that day the detective came by was because I was going through his stuff to try and find out where he might've gone or if there was anything I could sell. I still needed the money." _

"_Something still doesn't track, Kim. You say that Jimmy and his crew took off with the money but we found nearly fifty thousand in your bags at the storage unit." He sat up straight and gave her a sharp look. "Where'd that money come from?_

_More tears fell from her eyes as all of her dark secrets were dragged out into the light, demanding to be reckoned with. She knew that this conversation would be hard with anyone but with Martin, watching her with his big blue eyes that looked like they still wanted to believe there was goodness inside of her, it was heart wrenching. She wiped her cheeks, slicked with tears and gasped for air as she struggled to find her breath. _

"_You need to tell me the truth," Martin pleaded, his voice yearning for her to be honest. "I can't help you if you lie to me because I will find out the truth eventually. The FBI is tracking the serial numbers on the money as we speak trying to link it to the bank robbery."_

_Shame and fear welled up inside of her, lodging themselves behind the lump in her throat. She had never felt more vulnerable, so much hinging on how she answered this difficult, life-changing question. She looked back over at him, every molecule, ever fiber of her being was screaming for her to lie – to not tell him this final truth that would irrevocably damage what little faith he had left in her. But as much as she wanted to follow her sense of self-preservation, staring into Martin's ocean blue depths, she felt her resolve crumble in a thousand pieces and confessed, "They won't link it to the bank robbery."_

"_Why not?" he asked, frowning. "Did you launder it already? We have ways of tracking it if you did."_

_She shook her head, dreading his reaction to the truth. She clenched her eyes as more tears well up as her bottom lip quivered. "Martin, please… don't make me say it."_

"_Damn it, you need to talk while I am still in a position to help you, Kim," he demanded, his voice hard and determined. "Because if NYPD and the FBI find out before I do, it's all over and I can't do anything to help you."_

_The tears just kept streaming down her face as she surrendered, "Bobby Elber didn't threaten to hurt my mom in order to get me to change my vote on the jury." She steeled her nerves and in one quick whoosh she said, "He offered me a bribe and I accepted it."_

_Martin cocked his head as if wondering if he heard her correctly. It tore at her to see that even after all that happened tonight, it was as if he still wanted to believe the best of her. _

_But as the realization sunk in at how much she had lied to him since day one, he looked away disgusted and flew off his chair, stalking to the far side of the room. She choked back hot tears, watching him through teary eyes as he stared out the window, shaking his head with tensed up shoulders as he processed just how deep her betrayal had been. From where she lay, she could feel the rage radiating from his body, his fury heavy and palpable. Not looking at her, he seethed, "It was all just one lie after another, wasn't it?" He spun around, livid, and darkly accused, "Everything was just a lie. Everything." She couldn't speak and just stared back helplessly as Martin unraveled before her. "You've been lying to me all along."_

"_I didn't mean to hurt you," she argued, her vision blurred with hot tears at this confession of genuine regret. "I only took the money because I still needed to get my mom out of that facility." She gasped struggling to find her breath that was being choked back with emotion and shuddered. "And in the end, none of it mattered because with my shitty luck… after the trial my mom died in that damn state hospital anyway."_

"_Don't do that," he ordered. _

_She blinked. "Do what?"_

"_Try and make me feel sorry for you," he replied, shaking his head vehemently. "I'm not falling for that again. You used that card with me that day at the cabin and I know you played it with Det. Bensinger. I'm not falling for it anymore."_

"_I'm not TRYING to make you feel anything," she replied, shocked at just how true that statement was. For the first time in years, she was speaking without pretense or an agenda only to have it tossed back in her face. She suddenly became defensive and argued, "You wanted me to tell you the truth and I am."_

"_The truth is you keep saying you have bad luck but you know what truth I see? I see that you needed money and tried to take the easy way out by stealing it," he counterattacked with hard unrelenting anger. He made a broad sweeping motion with his hands. "I see that if you had any conscience you would've told the truth when Det. Bensinger interviewed you but you lied to save yourself and then you ran and hid."_

"_I didn't know where Jimmy went and I didn't want to go to prison," she replied, her self-preservation instincts kicking into high gear. "I knew that with Jimmy gone, they would've charged me with the guard's death."_

"_The guard was murdered and even if you didn't pull the gun, by driving the car, you were as culpable as Jimmy was," he argued, shaking his head at her in disbelief. He huffed out a frustrated breath and continued, "And then when you did get away with it, when you could've turned your life around, you saw another opportunity to get easy money again and you took it. You sold your vote and let a criminal get away with murder for fifty thousand dollars." He stared at her, his face a mixture of sadness and disgust. "That's what I see when I look at you." _

_Seeing him look at her that way, her shoulders hitched as the tears fell harder. "I was desperate." She wiped her nose and took a moment to gather herself. With so much emotion, she was overwhelmed. Taking a jagged breath, she said, "I don't expect you to understand feeling that way but," she swallowed, her throat raw and sore, "but desperation, it makes you do things that you would never believe possible otherwise."_

_Releasing a shaky breath, she raised her chin and met his eyes. He looked back at her and in an instant she saw a flicker of understanding. He bowed his head and rubbed his chin with his hand, pensively. She tried to read him, to guess what he was thinking when after a long beat he started speaking again. _

"_Why didn't you just go? You had the money… why not just run away?" he asked, the faintest trace of empathy in his voice. "I know you were thinking about it," he pointed out, dropping his hands by his side, staring at her sadly. "Reading the travel section, looking for places to 'get lost.'"_

_She wanted to disappear into thin air, knowing that he knew that morning they were talking about traveling she was thinking about running while he probably thought it was a chance for them to grow closer. She wiped her face with both of her palms; her entire body went limp, exhausted both physically and emotionally. "I thought about it all the time but I don't know… I just wasn't ready." Releasing a shaky breath, she met his eyes and said, "And then I met you and even though I knew I should go, I didn't want to anymore."_

_They stared at each for a long beat, each looking uncertain as to what the fates held for them. He opened his mouth to speak but the words wouldn't come when there was a soft knock on the door. _

"_Martin?"_

_Kim looked over to see Martin's partner, Danny, lingering in the doorway, his gaze shifting apprehensively between the two of them. She stared at him, thinking back to the previous night before all this happened, Martin had mentioned that maybe they could double date with his friend and his fiancée, Elena. It felt like another life. Of course, in many ways it was. _

_Clearing his throat to try and collect himself, Martin stepped towards the lanky agent. "Yeah, I'll be right out." _

_Danny nodded reluctantly, casting a final suspicious look at her before stepping out of the room. _

_Once he was gone, she looked back over at Martin and quietly asked, "You're leaving?" _

"_I have to go give my report to my SAC," he replied, running his hand over his head. He stepped towards the door, talking as he walked. "Since you told me the truth, I'll still see what I can do to get your case under federal jurisdiction." He paused and added, "But it won't be easy once they find out you lied about the jury tampering." She nodded her head slowly, grateful that after all of this, he was still willing to try and help her. She watched as he picked up his coat from the back of the chair and shrugged it on, still refusing to look in her direction. "In the meantime, as soon as the doctor gives the all clear, you will be transported to the county jail for processing."_

"_When will I see you again?" she asked as he started walking out. _

_His back was to her and rather than turn around to face her completely, he turned his head slightly, his profile silhouetted against the light of the hallway. "You won't." _

_And then he was gone. _

~*~

Kim sunk into her chair, wrapping her arms around her remembering that was the last time she saw Martin in the flesh. True to his word, whatever connections Martin had they must have been of the highest caliber because she was sent to the Federal Penitentiary where most of the fellow prisoners were of the white collar variety: embezzlers, hackers, and fraud.

Her lawyer thought she could make a deal to testify against Malucci, the drug dealer who had bribed her, but when they were in the process of making the deal with the DA, he was killed by a rival drug dealer before the trial even began. Again – Kim never had any luck. She was disappointed because not only would she have gotten released from prison but she also would've been placed in the witness protection program. It was her last chance at starting over – beginning anew.

At least, that is until Agent Delmar approached her about helping with his operation to capture Jimmy. While she was terrified of seeing Jimmy again – still remembering how dark and furious he could get, she was more terrified of spending the rest of her life in prison.

Lifting her chin, her eyes drifted over to the window to see Martin arguing with Delmar in the hallway. She soaked in the sight of him knowing that while she was overcome at seeing his face, it was hardly the auspicious reunion she had been hoping for. She kept her gaze focused on his face, praying that he could convince Delmar to let him go undercover as her husband because having him alone for a few days may be just the opportunity she needed to prove to him that in all of the lies she lived – he was the one true thing in her life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: Thanks so much to those of you who are sticking with this story and reviewing. As always I am totally honored when anyone reads any of my stories so thank you so much. Another shout out to Anmodo for all her help. It's rather scary how much I've come to rely on her input and guidance so I want to thank her again for helping me work through the story and git 'er done. ;-)


	5. Pot calling the kettle black

Chapter 4

~*~*~*~

_What I want from us is empty our minds  
We fake the thoughts, and fracture the times  
We go blind when we've needed to see  
And this leans on me, like a rootless tree_

~ Rootless Trees by Damien Rice

~*~*~*~

"You're out of your mind if you think for one second I would let you do this," Delmar growled at Martin as soon as they exited the conference room. Using his height to try and lean into Martin's personal space, he added, "I knew it was a mistake to involve you at all."

"You know as well as I do that I'm the most qualified to do this," Martin evenly replied, straightening his stance and meeting the SAC's gaze, refusing to be intimidated. He heard the door behind him click shut and out of the corner of his eye he saw that Danny had followed them out. Returning his focus to Delmar, he continued, "I have an MBA in finance and I worked in a bank for four years before joining the bureau. I know how they operate. Why else do you think my first assignment was White Collar?" Satisfied that he had Delmar's attention, he continued, "Plus, I'm available during the holiday so I can start tomorrow with no problems. Not to mention, my connection to Kim will help make it that much more believable."

"It's not just your qualifications I'm worried about and you know it," Delmar argued, shaking his head, refusing to listen. "Besides, we both know there's no way in hell Malone would agree. So just get this entire notion out of your mind right now."

He was fully ready to hear the litany of reasons arguing why he shouldn't do this so he geared himself up to counter every one of them. Beside him he heard Danny release a heavy sigh of relief and it took every ounce of Martin's will power to ignore it. He felt like he was fighting an uphill battle so he decided to focus on the task at hand – convincing Delmar – so he pulled out his ace in the hole.

"If you don't agree then I'll just go higher up the food chain," Martin tenaciously replied. He knew it was heavy handed to say that he would get his father to pull strings. Particularly since he knew he'd do everything in his power to have his father involved as little as possible during the actual undercover operation, but he wasn't above giving the implication.

"This isn't the way to persuade me," Delmar evenly replied, folding his arms over his wide chest and giving Martin a hard look. "And based on my discussions with Papa Fitzgerald, we both know he wants you and your precious career track as free from this woman's clutches as possible."

Delmar's snide remark felt like a sucker punch even though Martin was entirely too used to hearing comments like these in his career. He fought the instinct to say something in response but knew that where Kim was concerned, his father's involvement came in handy. He took a breath to gather his thoughts on how to try this from another angle.

"Look, you want to close this case and you have to know as well as I do that Dunlop isn't the guy who can help you do that." Martin paused, waiting until he could see Delmar give a slight nod indicating that he agreed. "And I know you're worried about my history with Kim; but it's precisely that connection that'll make it a believable cover."

"And how can I be assured that you're going to stay focused on the case if you are around her all the time?" Delmar asked with his eyebrow raised. He gave Martin a hard look, shaking his head. "This is about giving justice to those Wright killed, not you getting to play house with your ex."

"I'm not stupid," Martin argued. "She and I were done the minute I found out who she really is." He shot a look at Danny, making sure he was getting the message, too. Danny raised a skeptical eyebrow and pressed his lips together doubtfully. Martin firmly stated the mantra he had been repeating over and over in his head ever since the night he found out about Kim's past. "We're finished."

Delmar frowned. "I'd like to believe you but based on the way you're acting, I find that hard to believe."

"Just because we're done doesn't mean I want harm to come to her. And this isn't just about her. I want Wright brought to justice, too, for what he did," Martin argued, resenting that everyone seemed to think he was so easily wrapped around Kim's finger that he couldn't think for himself or be professional around her. Delmar worked his jaw, thoughtfully, and Martin could see that he was starting to persuade the senior agent. "Besides, like you said, the house will be monitored twenty-four/seven. I'm not going to do anything stupid when I'm living in a fishbowl."

"I don't know. It was one thing to let you help out but to let you be the one to go undercover..." Delmar replied, meditative.

Martin knew that Delmar's mental wheels were already spinning, thinking that there might be something to his suggestion.

"You know the minute Wright sees Kim married to Dunlop your plan will fail," Martin stated. He knew that in the end, the successful closing of a case was all that mattered and hoped that would be enough to sway Delmar.

Delmar gave Martin a long, hard, appraising look. Martin could see the SAC warring with himself, weighing the pros and cons of allowing Martin's participation. When he released a heavy sigh, Martin knew that the scale had been tipped in his favor.

"I'm not giving any guarantees here but if I agree, IF, I not only want full authorization from the Deputy Director but I want Malone to be completely on board," Delmar stated, putting his hands on his hips. "It's one thing to get daddy to pull strings but ain't no way I'm gonna cross Malone."

Resisting the urge to smile, Martin replied, "I'll handle it."

Delmar huffed. "Yeah, well in the meantime, I'm going to proceed with my original plan." He started back into the conference room and over his shoulder he added, "So you better hustle."

"Of course," Martin replied as he watched Delmar push the door open wide to enter the conference room. Inside, he caught sight of Kim, their eyes locking for a brief second until the door shut, concealing them from each other's sight. He felt a twang of pain in his chest and mentally reminded himself that he isn't supposed to feel anything for her.

"This is crazy," Danny quietly warned.

Martin turned around in time to see his friend eyeing him with concern. "Thanks for keeping that comment to yourself while I talked to Delmar into this," he replied before brushing past the lanky agent and starting down the hallway to the elevator. "It'll be fine."

He reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell phone, pressing speed dial #9. He pressed the cell phone to his ear and hurried down the hallway towards the elevator, doing his best to avoid Danny's looks of irritation.

The other end of the line rang a few times before a crisp, professional woman's voice answered, "Deputy Director Victor Fitzgerald's office."

"Hey Margaret," Martin greeted his father's executive assistant. "Is my dad around?"

"Hello, Martin," Margaret replied, her voice softening. "I'm sorry but your father is in a meeting with the Director right now. Can I give him a message?"

"Please just have him call me back," he replied. After she said she would give his father the message, she bid him goodbye and hung up.

Tucking his phone back into his coat pocket, he reached the elevator and pressed the call button, praying that it would arrive before Danny did but when the familiar pratfall of footsteps neared he knew he had no such luck.

Quietly, Danny sidled up next to him, the two men's gazes facing the closed elevator doors. Martin tensed up, waiting for the inevitable lecture on how ridiculous this plan was; how dangerous it was for him to get anywhere near Kim again after all that had happened; and the multitude of other reasons why he shouldn't do this but Danny simply stood there, silent.

He waited and stole glances at Danny from the corner of his eye, certain that his friend was simply gearing up to try and talk him out of it. Unable to bear the anticipation a moment longer, Martin huffed and turned to face him. "Just do it already."

"Do what?" Danny asked, feigning confusion but his tensed up jaw revealed he knew exactly what Martin meant.

"Try and talk me out of it. Tell me that I've lost my mind to want to do this and it's just another giant mistake in judgment since the day I went to her house after the jury case," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest, ready for the tongue-lashing. "Just say it."

Danny stared back at him with a mixture of pity, anger and resolve. "Why? It doesn't seem to matter what I say. You continue to do whatever the hell you want anyway." Martin stared at him disbelief, stunned by Danny's resignation. The elevator dinged and Danny stepped in first and waited. "You coming or what?"

Caught off guard by his friend's words and futile tone of his voice, Martin boarded after him, watching him warily. "You're not going to list all the reasons this is a bad idea and try to talk me out of it?"

Leaning over and pressing the button for the twelfth floor, Danny shook his head. "Nope. I'm always trying to stop you from doing something before it gets out of hand and you still do whatever you want anyway. So I'm not going to tell you what a stupid, asinine, moronic idea this is – you already know but you don't care."

"This is you not lecturing me?" Martin deadpanned, trying for some levity to break the tension but Danny was not the least bit amused.

Giving him a hard stare, Danny released a heavy audible sigh. "You know, Martin, you'd think by now I'd be used to being the one to try and fix things when the shit hits the fan."

He winced, Danny's words too close to the bone. "I'm only trying to handle things the way I think they should be done."

"And that's precisely the problem." Danny gave him a knowing look and with a razor sharp edge to his voice, he replied, "You want to be the one to decide the way they should be done until it falls apart and I have to clean up the mess."

"That's not true," Martin argued, hating how feeble his words seemed even to his own ears.

"Like hell it's not," Danny responded, clearly trying to contain his anger. He looked like a part of him wanted to fight this issue but felt it wasn't worth the effort. He clenched his jaw and added, "Well, the good news is maybe since you and Jack have turned out to be so much alike, you can actually get him to agree to this asinine plan."

Martin just pressed his lips together and kept quiet. Sometimes when you know you cannot win an argument, the key to not losing it entirely is to just shut up.

They arrived on twelfth floor and stepped out, walking down the hallway. Martin slowed as he neared Jack's office door and glanced inside to see him sitting at his desk with his back to them, looking at something on the table behind his desk.

At first, Danny kept walking past clearly wanting to wash his hands of Martin and this whole situation but before he made the turn to go back to his desk, he stopped in his tracks and wearily rubbed his hand through his hair before turning towards Martin. Annoyance still evident on his face, Danny still offered, "You want me to go in with you when you tell him about this phenomenally bad idea?"

A grin twitched at the corner of Martin's mouth, almost feeling relief that as mad as Danny seemed he still wasn't ready to give up on him just yet. "There's the support I was expecting."

Danny jutted his chin. "So?"

He shook his head. "No, you really have done enough already. I should do this alone." Danny nodded and started down to continue his to his desk. Martin stepped closer to Jack's door, his hand posed to knock but before he did, he called over to Danny and waited until his friend turned to face him. "Thanks for always looking out for me."

Danny nodded and flatly replied, "I have to since you aren't doing it," before turning again and heading to his desk.

Martin watched his friend walk away before glancing again into Jack's office. The senior agent was still facing away but didn't appear to be too busy so Martin waited a beat, steeling his nerves and taking a deep breath, he knocked on Jack's door while simultaneously pushing it open. "Hey, Jack, gotta a minute?"

Swiveling in his chair with a phone pressed up against his ear, Jack motioned for him to enter as he finished his conversation. "…and I just don't like ice skating. I'll watch from the sidelines and cheer you and girls. I know it's not a soccer game." He held up his index finger indicating that he would only be a moment longer so Martin sat down on the one of the chairs facing the desk as Jack paused, listening to what the other caller was saying when a small smile crept up on his face. "Listen, I gotta go." His eyes shifted up to look at Martin and quickly said, "Yeah, me too."

Peaked with curiosity, Martin wondered just who was on the other end of the line when Jack hung up his phone, but he knew he had bigger things to worry about right now.

"What's up?" Jack asked, sounding warm and jovial as he settled back on his chair. He grabbed a pencil and a file as he continued, "If this is about leaving early you're too late. Viv asked first so that means you and Danny have to cover the desks."

"Yeah, no, it's not that," Martin replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The collar of his shirt suddenly felt very tight and his stomach tensed up. "Actually, I need to ask a favor." Martin sat up straighter, as if appearing confident would help his cause. "I'd like your permission to help SAC Delmar with a case he's working..."

"No," Jack instantly interrupted, his good mood from moments earlier vaporized. Martin gaped, surprised by how he hadn't even explained a single detail and was already shot down. He geared up to protest when Jack stared at him evenly from across the desk. "I know what case he's working on and I think you've already jeopardized enough for Kim Marcus."

Martin stared at him wide eyed. "How did you know?"

"Never mind how I know – I know," Jack gruffly responded. "Why would you want to put yourself through this again? I would've thought you learned your lesson already."

"I need to do this, Jack," Martin stated, already growing tired of having to continuously make this argument over and over.

Jack worked his jaw and corrected, "No. You don't _need_ to do this. You _want_ to do this."

"Fine, you're right – I want to," Martin conceded. He leaned forward, locking his eyes with Jack. "I've worked on this team long enough to have seen that sometimes cases come into our lives that we are meant to work on. This is my case."

"This isn't just some case. This is about your ex-girlfriend. Don't pretend it isn't. That makes this personal and you need to be professional about this," Jack argued, clasping his hands on his desk and meeting Martin's stare. "Besides, after the way you handled things last time I'll be damned if I let you drag our team's reputation down any further."

A soft laugh escaped Martin's lips. "You're kidding me right? You are lecturing me about not making things personal and going rogue, you of all people? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Martin had bit his lip the first time Jack reamed him about the situation with Kim but he was too worn out today to listen to it all over again. "I did what I did in order to try and settle things _before_ they got out of hand. And yeah, I didn't tell you because I was embarrassed or whatever, but I didn't go it alone, I asked another agent for help. We handled things as by the book as we possibly could, considering the circumstances. We all know the same can't always be said of you."

"I happen to think my agents should be better than me," Jack replied with restrained anger disguised as conviction.

"So you want us to do as you say and not as you do? That's pretty hypocritical," Martin retorted. Maybe it was from spending the last hour defending his motives or maybe it had brimming since he found out about Kim's betrayal and Jack's punishing words, but he was on the defense and unwilling to back down. "You can't have it both ways, Jack. We just want you to have our back and trust us as much as we trust you."

Jack worked his jaw as he absorbed Martin's words and sighed audibly. "How exactly do you plan on helping on Delmar's case?"

Martin squared his shoulders and decided that there was no way to tactfully beat around the bush. "I requested that I go undercover in Dunlop's place."

"Have you lost your mind?" Jack asked, incredulous. "You expect me to agree to this? After all that happened because you let your personal feelings for that woman cloud your judgment, you want me to let you stay alone with her for 24-hours a day? Hell no."

"Damn it, Jack. Nothing's gonna happen," Martin adamantly replied. "I just think I know her better than anyone and I'd be the best qualified to do this. It has nothing to do with the feelings I once had for her."

"That's what you say now but you are emotionally compromised. Nothing good happens when…"

"When we involve our emotions?" Martin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Tell that to Jennifer Long, Rafi Alvarez, Chet Williams, Max Cassidy, Barry Mashburn, Jessica Raab, Colleen McGrath, Andy Deaver, Bianca Gonzalez, Sofie Delgado, my aunt Bonnie… Just how many do I need to list?" Jack looked chagrined as Martin continued, "You have always been about going with our gut instincts and not ignoring our feelings because making it personal makes us good at what we do."

"And I got shot last time I let my emotions cloud my judgment and I needed the team to save my ass." It was a startling confession from the mouth of Jack Malone.

"And you can't tell me you wouldn't do it all over again," Martin said as Jack shot him a look that read, tread carefully. Licking his lips, Martin tried again, "You can't tell us one thing but do something else just because you are Jack Malone and we're not."

"I'm no one for any agent to model themselves after," Jack replied, equally humbled and saddened at the thought that the team often used him as a model of what an agent should be.

Martin met Jack's eyes. "Too late."

Sighing heavily, Jack sat there for a few beats, quietly contemplating just what he should do. Martin sat perfectly still, silently waiting to hear what Jack's final verdict on the matter would be when Jack glanced out the window to see Danny observing them from inside the bullpen. When Danny spotted Jack watching him, he hurriedly glanced all around, grabbed a sheet of paper and pretended to be studying it intently.

"I take it that Heckle knows about your plan, Jeckle?" Jack asked with sarcastic inflection.

"It's my idea only." Knowing how opposed Danny was to this plan, Martin wanted to make it abundantly clear that his friend was not a driving force and it was all on him. Seeing that Jack may be opening up, he explained, "Jack, Delmar wants to send Agent Dunlop under. Dunlop's a great analyst but he has virtually zero field experience much less doing something as involved as going undercover. Wright's victims need justice and it's not going to happen with Dunlop pretending to be the bank manager." He leaned forward and keeping his voice steady, he said, "This all started with Kim's gun and me finding out about the shooting of the guard. I'm the one who started all of this and I can't leave this unfinished. No matter what happened with Kim, I need to be the one to see it through until the end."

Jack's jaw tightened as he sat there digesting Martin's words. Martin swallowed and waited for his SAC's verdict. He wanted to offer up more examples but he knew at this point it would most likely only dissuade Jack rather than persuade.

"I'm not letting you do this alone," Jack said eventually. "I'm going to send Danny and Viv as well. I'll think of some way they can be a part of your undercover identity. If we land a case, I can trade Delmar some of his agents for you three."

With a faint smile, he said, "Thank you, Jack."

"Don't go thanking me yet," Jack pointedly replied, tapping his index finger on the top of his desk and levelly cautioned, "Because if I see any sign that you're not playing by rules or anything inappropriate is going between you and Marcus, I'll pull your ass out so fast it'll make your head spin."

Martin nodded.

Jack reached over and picked up his phone. "I'll call Delmar and start coordinating things." He started dialing. "Now get out of here before I come to my senses." He jerked his head towards where Danny was standing outside and added, "And tell him to stop hovering already and get to work. I still want those reports on my desk by the end of day."

"You got it," Martin replied as he exited Jack's office.

Martin strode towards the bullpen, feeling Danny's eyes on him every step of the way. He walked towards where Danny stood and was met up halfway.

"Well?" Danny warily asked.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. "I mean, you might think its bad news but I happen to think…"

Danny shook his head, annoyed. "Just tell me what he said."

With a serious expression, Martin replied, "He said yes."

Narrowing his eyes at him, Danny asked, "So what's the good news?"

Ignoring the fact that Danny thought Jack's agreement was the bad news he grinned and answered, "You get to come with me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: Again, huge thanks to Anmodo for her input and invaluable help in getting into the mind of one Danny Taylor. And always and forever, thanks to all of you who read and review. Thank you so much!


	6. In your dreams

Chapter 5

~*~*~*~

_Crack the shutters open wide  
I want to bathe you in the light of day  
And just watch you as the rays  
Tangle around your face and body  
I could sit here for hours  
Finding new ways to be awed each minute_

~ Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol

~*~*~*~

"I'm telling you, he's lost his mind, Elena," Danny insisted as he sliced up the tofu into small cubes. He had happily discarded his suit and tie when he got home and was dressed in his favorite worn jeans and aged, blue Mets t-shirt that was worn thin and soft by years of washing. "He kept rationalizing that he wasn't doing this because of his personal feelings but the way Martin kept looking at her, I know he's full of it."

He grabbed the other block of tofu and continued slicing. He never thought he would be that guy who ate tofu anything but after dating Elena he started to follow her healthier lifestyle. Actually, he didn't really have a choice. If he wanted to eat dinner at home with Elena, he had to either eat organic, wholesome foods or not eat at all. Thankfully, between his and Elena's love of spicy foods, they had comprised and learned to make healthier variations of classic Puerto Rican and Cuban favorites. Tonight's dinner was arroz con tofu – a vegetarian version of arroz con pollo.

"You don't think you're blowing this out of proportion, mi amor?" Elena asked, looking over at him from where she stood at the sink rinsing the rice. She had also shed her work clothes and was wearing loose-fitting khaki pants and a pale pink, billowy peasant top. Her long, luxurious black hair was pulled back into a perfect looking ponytail. "He can't be totally nuts if he got Delmar, his father _and_ Jack to agree."

"Yeah, well, that's hardly a glowing endorsement," he retorted as he picked up the cutting board and moved towards the stove. Using the blade of the knife, he slid the cubes into a lightly oiled frying pan with the already sautéed onions and garlic. The soybean curd crackled in the heated pan. "I have a bad feeling in my gut about this."

"Maybe he needs to do this to get closure," Elena guessed as she shook out the strainer, a few grains of rice sneaking past and falling into the sink. "You told me that he seemed to be really into Kim and then everything happened so fast after he found out about her past. He never had a chance to really end things with her."

"And that's exactly why this is a bad idea," he argued, using the spatula to evenly spread the tofu pieces around to get properly browned.

"How do you spell Afghanistan?" Sofie asked aloud. Danny looked over to where his sweet faced step daughter was sitting at the dining room table working on her world history homework. She was still wearing her Catholic school uniform and her long brown hair was pulled back into two French braids. Flipping her #2 pencil between her fingers, she continued, "Is it A-F-G-A-N-I-S-T-A-N?"

"You almost have it but there's a silent 'H'," he answered, grinning at her. "It's A-F-G-_H_-A-N-I-S-T-A-N."

"Oh," she replied, quickly erasing and amending her work. "Thanks Danny."

"De nada," he replied, admiring how studious and serious she looked when doing her homework. She looked a lot like Elena when she was in the middle of a case and tracking a lead.

"I'm done, mom," Sofie announced, snapping her notebook shut.

"Put your stuff away in your room and change your clothes, mamita" Elena replied as she set the bowl of rice aside. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Okay," Sofie said as she gathered up her things and darted off to her bedroom.

Returning his attention to his cooking, Danny glanced over at Elena and resumed their conversation from earlier. "Martin still has feelings for Kim and I don't trust her. He can be really gullible when it comes to women and if she has him alone, she might mess him up some more. Not to mention the fact that no one really knows what her motives are. I mean what if she ends up doing something to help Jimmy Wright? She's a con artist, Elena. I know only too well how people like that work. They draw you in and get you to trust them, then--"

"Danny, you might be overreacting here," Elena interjected, using her most calming voice. She grabbed the Pyrex measuring cup and filled it with vegetable broth. "He seemed to bounce back alright and went back to work just fine – even with Jack breathing down his neck for a few days."

He knew she was trying to wind him down and get him to accept what was already a done deal but he wanted to vent awhile longer. "He's not fine, Elena. He likes to pretend that this is all about closing a case, even when we know damn well it isn't." He grabbed the bowls with the diced up green and red pepper and peas, tossing them into the pan. "He's saying all the right things but I know he's still affected by her. What he's about to do is dangerous – for him and the case."

Danny studied the veggies in the pan, searing lightly and their colors growing darker as they cooked. Behind him, Elena grew quiet so he turned his head to look at her. "What?"

"Nothing," she softly replied as she walked over and placed the bowl of rice and the measuring cup on the counter next to the stove.

"You can't fool me," he argued, shaking his head and studying her pensive face. "You clearly have something on your mind, what is it?"

She leaned her hip against the kitchen counter to the right of him as he continued stirring the tofu and veggies to prevent them from getting burned. Licking her lips, she carefully began, "You know, when I first joined the team, if you had asked me who out of all of us who were single who would be the first to settle down and get married, Martin would've been my first choice."

"Really? You didn't see me as the family man?" he teased, his lips curled up into a playful smirk as he gave her a flirty leer.

"Oh, you? Mr. Playboy? Not at all," she gingerly replied with a light, lilting laugh. She narrowed her eyes at him and nodded slowly. "Remember, mi amor, I knew your reputation very, very well." He wasn't sure if he was flattered or offended but decided that since these days he was more domesticated than a housecat, there was no point arguing. Sighing, Elena continued, "But now, Samantha has Finn and is starting a new life with Brian, Jack is dating Lisa…"

"That's unconfirmed," Danny interjected. He reached over and picked up the bowl of rice and cup of broth, pouring them both into the pan and quickly stirring.

"Believe me, I can tell that there's something going on there," she knowingly replied, watching as he grabbed some bottles from the spice rack and dashed in some saffron, chile powder, thyme and nutmeg. Danny lowered the heat and placed the lid on the pan to let the dish simmer. Satisfied dinner was underway, he wiped his hands on the dishtowel and focused again on Elena as she continued, "But out of all of us, Martin is the only one who is still single and I can tell he hates it. It also can't be easy to for him that his playboy best friend is married now."

Biting his lower lip as he thought about it, Danny nodded. He was even surprised that he was the one to settle down first and give up his philandering ways. He thought about how he once teased Martin about his and Sam's relationship and how Uncle Danny would be the one coming over to teach the kids how to play basketball but now… it would be Uncle Martin doing the visiting.

"I guess I never really thought of it that way," Danny replied, reflexively placing the palm of his hand to Elena's belly that had barely a hint of a bump. "Now he's also going to be the only one of us who also isn't a parent."

~*~

_Danny entered the bedroom carrying a bag, stocked to the brim with small cartons. Elena emerged from the bathroom wearing her white cotton nightgown (one of his personal favorites) while brushing her teeth. She glanced at the contents of the bag and looked at him, stunned. _

"_How many boxes did you buy?" she asked. She had a small bit of toothpaste foam at the corner of her mouth. _

"_I got one of every kind because I didn't know which one to get," he replied as he unceremoniously emptied the bag on the bed. Boxes in varying sizes and colors were scattered all over the duvet. Elena quickly stepped back into the bathroom to rinse her mouth as he started divvying up the boxes. As soon as she returned, he grabbed one and held it up. "This one uses a plus or minus symbol," he picked up another, "this one says 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant.'" He put them down, grabbed two more and continued, "This uses a smile or sad face and this one turns pink." He sighed exasperated. "I…I just didn't know which one was the best. I don't want to mess this up or…"_

_Grinning at him, amused, Elena rushed up to where he stood and took his face in her hands and kissed him. She pulled back and in her native-tongue, whispered, "Calme… calme."_

_Between kisses he kept stammering, "I just… this is important. I don't want to make a mistake. I want us to know for sure." _

_During dinner that night, they had ordered pizza – just like they did every Friday. But halfway through her slice, Elena got a funny look on her face. When Danny asked her about it, she said that the olives tasted funny to her. Both he and Sofie claimed theirs tasted fine so Elena let it drop there but he noticed her pick off the olives and set them aside. Afterwards, they had put in a movie to watch and Elena was fast asleep twenty minutes into the film._

_Later, after putting Sofie to bed, he asked Elena if she was feeling alright and she'd told him that she had the same odd feeling she did when she was pregnant with Sofie. She explained that the first symptoms were that she was exhausted and certain foods started tasting different to her. Not wanting to waste a single moment, Danny rushed out to the nearest Duane Reed and practically bought out their entire stock of home pregnancy tests. _

_Looking into his eyes, Elena caressed his face and reassured him, "Take a breath." He inhaled and exhaled and she smiled up at him. "It's going to be okay. It might not even be anything."_

"_I know but…" he started again, the nervous feeling in his stomach spinning again, so she tilted her head up and kissed him once more. He settled and relaxed against her, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist. _

_She gently pulled back and carefully asked, "You want me to be pregnant, don't you?" _

_He tensed up. The truth was he wanted that more than anything and he didn't even know just how much until this very moment when she said she might be but now… the mere thought of it excited him more than anything. And terrified him. And thrilled him. And petrified him. But holding his wife in his arms, he also knew that the impact of a pregnancy was going to cause a huge impact on her life and career. _

"_Yes," he truthfully replied, pulling her closer. He reached up and brushed some of her bangs out of her eyes and asked, "What about you? What do you want?"_

"_I… I don't know. This is huge!" she nervously replied. He nodded that he understood, feeling slightly sad that she wasn't as excited as he was when she hugged him tightly to her and met his eyes. "But I always knew I wanted to have another child with you. It's just a lot sooner than I thought." _

"_So you're okay if you're pregnant?" he asked, needing to hear her say the words aloud._

_She nodded and cradled his face in her hands. "Yes, yes, yes… of course." She kissed him quickly and caressed his cheeks. "But please don't get your hopes up too high right away. We don't even know yet."_

"_I can fix that," he stepped back and waved his hand over the boxes. "Which one do you want to do first?" _

_She crossed her arms and shook her head. "I'm not peeing on all those sticks. Just give me one – any one." Wordlessly, he grabbed the box marked E.P.T. and handed it to her. Accepting it, she started opening the box and walking back towards the bathroom. Danny got in step behind her when she stopped abruptly and stared up at him. "Where do you think you're going?"_

"_I don't want to wait," he gently argued, jutting his lips out in a pout. "I want to know when you do." _

_She sighed, put out, and motioned for him to go ahead and follow her. She unwrapped one of the tests and moved over to the toilet. He leaned against the bathroom counter and surreptitiously avoided watching as she squatted over the toilet while peeing directly on the stick. When she was done, he looked back over to see her pulling the stick back._

_He held out his hand to take it and asked, "How soon will we know?" She glanced at the stick before giving it to him and stared at it, with a shocked expression on her face. "Elena?"_

_She looked up at him, held up the stick and grinned. "We don't have to wait." He stepped closer and squinted at the stick that read, clear as daylight, 'PREGNANT.' She giggled softly and said, "Danny, we're having a baby." _

_Danny stared at it; stunned that they really were going to be parents. They had created a new life. He felt a little woozy and his knees trembled: he was going to be a father. His mouth fell open, overwhelmed by what this all meant and glanced over at Elena who was giggling softly. _

_Her soft giggles slowly gave way to full on laughter, her eyes filled with tears of joy and he soon found himself joining her. _

"_We're gonna have a baby!" he exclaimed, over come with joy. He bent down and kissed her long and hard. Breaking apart, he rested his forehead against hers and breathed, "I love you so much."_

"_I love you, too," she replied, between fits of laughter and Danny pelting her with kisses. She finally broke back and teasingly ordered, "Now move so I can get off the toilet."_

~*~

"I guess I never thought of it that way," Danny replied, his hand still caressing her stomach, idly wondering what his son or daughter was going to look like. He was so blessed in his life and sometimes found himself forgetting that not everyone was as lucky as him these days, namely Martin. Part of him wanted to feel guilty for his good fortune, but he'd spent so many years struggling and down on his luck, that now he was just plain happy that things finally fell into place for him.

"Just cut him a little slack," she said, holding up her thumb and index finger as a form of measurement. She tilted her head so she could look into his eyes. "This can't be easy for him either. Even if you think he still cares about her, he knows that everyone is going to be watching and waiting for him to screw up."

"Fine," Danny grumbled, pouting. "But why do I always have to support everyone else when they do dumbass things? If they would just listen to me…"

"Like you are Mr. Perfecto? If the rumors in the office are true than you used to get into plenty of trouble back in the day, too."

"Lies, all lies," he softly replied, shaking his head. She narrowed her eyes at him, endearingly, as she raised a skeptical brow. "Fine, I'll try to not give him too hard a time. For you."

"Gracias mi amor," she purred as she planted a soft kiss.

"You know, we're entering our second trimester… that means we can start telling people." He wrapped his arms around her, remembering that they agreed it was superstitious to tell people during first trimester. It was bad luck to do it before the pregnancy reached three months, but they were about to go into month four and he was bursting at the seams to share this incredible news with everyone he knew. It took every ounce of his restraint to not blurt out the news out whenever Jack, Sam or Viv talked about their own kids or when he or Elena discussed Sofie around them.

Elena smiled. "I think the first person we should tell is Sofie." She leaned back, his arms bracing her carefully. "But not until after my appointment on Friday. Once we get the final all clear from the doctor, then we tell her. I don't want to jinx it."

"I agree," he replied, before pulling her closer to him. She snaked her arms around his neck and lifted her chin to look him in the eye. He smiled down at her, still trying to absorb that she was his wife and this was his life. After so many years of trying to get it right, here he was with the family he always wanted. Feeling his anger from earlier drain away, he sighed and decided to focus on something else. "You know, maybe we can count this as Sofie's present so we can stop trying to hunt down that doll she wants."

"In your dreams," she purred, lifting her chin and smiling up at him.

"I'm already there," he softly replied, grinning down at her before moving in for a kiss.

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A/N: Sue me. I like fluff every now and then. FYI: it does have purpose in case you are dubious readers. ;-)

As always, HUGE thanks to Anmodo for guiding me on my writing (and even sharing a bit of her own in the process) and having infiinite patience with my constant questions and laments. She doesn't get paid enough for helping me. Particularly since she does it for free.

And to those of you who are following this story, thanks for reading and reviewing.


	7. Knight in shining armor

Chapter 6

~*~*~*~

_Redemption comes in many shapes  
__With many kinds of pain_

~ Dolly Parton, 'Travelin' Thru'

~*~*~*~

"If you must leave the house, a GPS unit has been placed on the car…" the agent continued, reading off a several page long list of all the things Kim could and could not do when she went undercover later this morning.

By no leap of the imagination, the list of things she wasn't allowed to do was much longer than the things she could.

Kim nodded her head again that she understood as yet another one of the many agents surrounding her as of late continued droning on and on. She spent a greater part of the morning prepping for the undercover operation listening to how things would work while she was living in the house. It took all of her willpower to not roll her eyes at the agents who were acting like she was getting a week long stay at the Plaza rather than essentially being under house arrest with the off chance that her unbalanced former boyfriend would orchestrate a home invasion while she was around.

Agent Archaki, or Agent Acne, as Kim had now come to mentally refer to the pocked marked faced man who seemed to relish ordering her around, pointed to the aerial map that looked like it was taken from Google Street Finder, and instructed, "Now the house directly behind the one where you and Agent Fitzgerald will be living will have two agents working round the clock to monitor things."

Sighing heavily, Kim evenly replied, "I get it. I'll be under surveillance at all times. I can't do anything or try anything without everyone knowing."

"You've been given a chance here, Ms. Marcus," Agent Archaki replied, giving her a hard, pointed look. Kim guessed that this was his first case and he wanted to yield his newfound authority whenever and wherever possible. Giving her a stern look, Archaki continued, "I suggest you cut the attitude and appreciate what a great chance you've been given."

Kim resisted the urge to roll her eyes that she was being lectured to by a man who was at least ten years younger than her and looked like he was wearing his first ever suit that was one size too big. Instead she gave him a tight smile and nodded her head.

Satisfied that his words were heeded, Archaki continued listing the Bureau's 'Do's and Don'ts.'

The truth was, she did know what a rare opportunity she was given but she was tired of being talked down to for the last week. All she wanted to do was get started with the operation. When she first realized what Delmar wanted her to do, she was nerve-wracked just thinking about having to see Jimmy Wright again; but now knowing that she was going to be in such close proximity with Martin, her emotions were somewhere between anxiety and yearning.

As Agent Archaki read through the list of rules, Kim sat back in her chair and glanced out one of the windows to the hallway where she spotted Martin talking with Delmar and Jack Malone, their heads bent in deep conversation. She had met Jack Malone the night she came to the bureau office to give her testimony on how Elber had threatened her mother in order to get her to vote 'no.' She remembered how disappointed she had been that Martin had left without saying goodbye, leaving Agent Malone to arrange for her ride home.

She studied Martin's face as he listened to whatever Delmar and Malone were telling him. A small smile tugged on the corner of her mouth at seeing him looking as bored and frustrated as she felt. She liked that Martin was often easy to read, so open and upfront about what he was feeling or what he felt. It was one of the first things that drew her to him…

~*~

_Kim trudged along behind Martin as they made their way back towards the cabin. He was ahead of her, holding his cell phone up high, searching for any trace of a signal. _

_She wrapped her arms around herself, still shaking from the events from earlier. She couldn't believe that Bobby Elber was dead, her heart still pounding in her chest worried that they would eventually connect her to him. She suddenly was grateful that she had thought to put the money in her storage locker. If the FBI felt compelled to search her house, they wouldn't find anything. She reminded herself to keep her story simple and do her best to appear sympathetic and vulnerable._

_She studied the back of Martin's head and prayed he really did believe her story. It wasn't the truth but close enough so she wouldn't forget the details. Elber really did approach her in the parking garage but instead of handing her a bag with her mother's broach inside, he had handed her a bag of cash. She still remembers her heart racing at seeing so much cash – it was close to five thousand – and Elber's gravelly voice saying that there's was twenty more if she'd only vote 'no' during the jury deliberations. Seeing all those bills she also saw all her problems disappear: her mother's nursing home situation, student loans, she could finally get a new car that didn't require constant upkeep. It would have been so easy to just say yes but she quickly declined, shoving the money back toward Elber. She was all too intimate with the law and didn't want to take any more chances. But he refused, telling her to hold onto it for 24 hours, think about how that money could help her improve her life and, more importantly, her moms. He stepped back and told her he'd get in touch with her again soon to see if she changed her mind. By the time he showed up at her house the next afternoon, she had decided to not only keep the money but was also now savvy enough to get him to raise it. _

_Mentally working out the details of the story she told Martin once more, she looked up in time to see him glancing at her over his shoulder, a concerned expression on his face. She liked that he was constantly checking up on her, making sure she was okay. She offered up a shy, grateful smile indicating that she was holding up fine and he nodded, returning his attention to his cell phone. _

"_I usually don't get reception out here," she shared. Martin stopped and turned to look at her questioningly so she explained, "I have to go a bridge a few miles down the road to make a call."_

_He worked his tongue into his cheek, frustrated. "Great." He dropped his cell into his pocket. "Guess I can stop wasting my time. Thanks." He jerked his chin indicating that they should keep walking. _

_She got in step behind him and together they made their way over the rocky terrain. The distance didn't seem as long when they were running for their lives but walking back she realized they had covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. She gave herself mental props for her athletic ability considering her small feet and short legs. _

_Martin paused after he stepped over a steep ledge and held out his hand to help her down. Normally, she would have had no problem maneuvering her way over it but she still smiled and accepted his assistance. When she was over, he gave her a shy smile and continued walking. She wasn't used to a man like Martin Fitzgerald appeared to be, a gentleman, chivalrous. Generally she was drawn to the bad boy, dark and dangerous, the kind of man who always kept her life wrapped up in drama. Normally, she wouldn't give a guy like Martin the time of day, but in this moment, his type made her feel very safe. _

_It was an unusual feeling for her, but she liked it all the same. _

_She knew they were getting closer to her uncle's cabin when the air grew thick with smoke. They climbed over a fallen log and she spotted the small cabin engulfed in flames, black smoke billowing out from the heat-shattered windows. It was surprising how much noise a fire could make, crackling and popping as the fire rapidly consumed the wooden structure. Her chest constricted tightly at seeing the safest refuge of her childhood disappearing before her very eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Martin giving her a sympathetic look. _

"_I'm sorry," he softly whispered. _

_She couldn't bring herself to speak so she nodded her head gratefully. He removed his hand and started down to his car with her following behind him. They kept a safe distance from the burning building, the heat from the flames warming them as they passed. _

_She heard a beep and saw the trunk of Martin's car pop open and he reached in to grab something. She stepped over as he pulled out a small, red bag with the easy identifiable white cross on the side indicating a first aid kit._

_Slamming the trunk closed, he stepped around to the front of the vehicle. Setting the bag on the hood of the car, he unzipped the top flap, pulling out gauze and ointment. She was instantly reminded that this situation wasn't all about her: he had been injured in his fight with Elber and risked so much to keep her safe. Shaking herself free from her self-pity, she took a deep breath and joined him alongside the car._

"_Let me," she gently insisted, holding out her hand to take the materials from him. _

"_I can do it," he feebly argued. _

"_It's the least I can do considering you just saved my life," she quietly replied, unwavering. He finally conceded, surrendering the supplies to her before carefully sitting on the hood of the car to let her do her work. Tearing open an antiseptic packet and pulling out the pre-moistened pad, she gave him a shy, flirty smile. "You're like my own Knight in shining armor."_

_He shook his head, smiling lamely. "Hardly."_

_She liked that he seemed uncomfortable with her compliment so she decided to let it rest there. As she gently pressed the pad against his temple that had the largest gash, he winced in response. She nervously bit her lip and softly murmured, "Sorry."_

"_It's alright," he breathed._

_Stepping closer in order to get a better angle on his head, she wordlessly took his chin in her hand and turned his head so she could examine his injuries a bit more thoroughly. He had a large gash but the rest were relatively small scrapes. She continued gently cleaning the area and said, "It's not too deep. I don't think you're going to have a scar."_

"_That's good, I was worried about my modeling career," he joked. _

_She giggled knowing that he was trying to lighten the moment but wondered if he truly knew he was handsome enough to be one as well. _

_She patted the gash a few more times. Satisfied that the bleeding had stopped and she'd done as much as she could, she moved her hand away from his face and said, "All done." She shifted her head to look directly at him and added, "I'm no nurse, but I think it'll hold you until a paramedic arrives."_

_Her eyes darted to his and it did not escape her attention that his eyes had grown dark and he was eyeing her a little hungrily. She briefly wondered if he noticed the same look in her own eyes. She also became achingly aware of the close proximity of their bodies, the sexual tension rolling in large waves between them. They stared at each other, sharing a look that lingered long enough to make them both blush. _

_Martin broke the moment first, straightening up and clearing his throat. "Um, thanks."_

"_No problem," she murmured, gathering the used pad and gauze to toss in the trash later when there was a large crackling sound behind her. Turning around, she saw the roof of the cabin collapse. She was so distracted by the heat between her and Martin she almost forgot about the burning cabin. _

_Martin pulled out his phone again, looking thankful for the diversion. _

"_I was serious, you're not gonna get a signal; we're pretty far out in the woods," she reminded him. Her eyes shifted to the smoldering cabin and she added, "I'm sure a ranger will spot it and call it in to the fire station."_

_He held the phone up high and squinted to read the screen. "It's not just that, I really need to talk to my SAC and tell him what happened."_

"_If you really want to make a call, we're going to have to drive to get a signal," she said, zipping the First Aid bag back up. _

_Martin hesitated, glancing at the burning cabin, his tongue darting out of his lips as he pondered their options. He was quiet for a beat before shrugging, "Well, there's no way of putting the fire out ourselves. The sooner we make a call for help, the better the odds that__help will come sooner rather than later." He pulled his keys from his pocket and straightened up saying, "Let's go." _

_He started back to the driver's side of the car when he swayed a bit and placed his hand on the hood of the car to steady himself. _

"_I can drive," Kim said as she held out her hand for the keys. _

"_I'll be fine…" he tried to argue, when he winced and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. _

"_You've done enough heroics today," Kim gently said, trying to be persuasive with someone that despite sharing something so intense with, she really didn't know very well. "Besides, it'll be easier since I know exactly where to go."_

_Opening his eyes and blinking, he backtracked, "Maybe you're right. My head does hurt." He held out his hand and deposited the keys into the palm of her hands. "Thanks."_

_She waited until he moved around to the passenger side before stepping to the driver's side and sitting down. She smiled to herself realizing the pedals were very far away from her feet so she reached under and pressed the button to adjust the seat and moved it forward. It took a few attempts to get the seat adjusted just right and when she was done, she glanced at Martin who was watching her bemusedly. _

_She tilted her head, embarrassed. "Curse of short legs." _

_He just smiled and remained politely quiet. _

_After checking the mirrors, she carefully pulled the car back and away, glancing sadly at the cabin before driving off down the dirt road to the main highway. They drove in relative silence, each lost in their own thoughts. She stole a quick glance at him, wondering if he was having any doubts about her story, to see him just staring sadly out the windshield. He seemed a million miles away and she knew that she was the furthest thing from his mind. After all, he had just killed a man in a brutal and violent way – and as relieved as she felt to know Elber was out of her life – she imagined it had to be difficult for someone like Martin to deal with. _

_She returned her attention to the winding road when her stomach growled - loudly. She tensed up, embarrassed and opted to ignore it in the hopes Martin was too pensive to hear it either. _

_She knew she had no such luck when Martin snickered and reached in to the backseat and grabbed a plastic bag. He set it on his lap and pulled it open. "I picked up some snacks on my way here." She glanced at him quickly, pleasantly surprised. He pulled out a chocolate chip granola bar and held it out for her as he added, "I knew it was going to be a long drive."_

_She laughed and gratefully accepted the snack. Holding the steering wheel with one hand, she tore the wrapper with her teeth and said, "Sorry, I haven't eaten all day and I tend to get hungry when I'm nervous," she paused and cheerfully added, "Or anxious, happy, sad, bored..."_

"_Woman after my own heart," Martin replied as he unwrapped his own granola bar and took a bite. _

_A short while later, they reached the bridge and Kim pulled the car over to the side of the road. Martin happily commented that he now had a signal and stepped out of the car to make what seemed like quite a few phone calls. He left his car door open and while she couldn't hear whom he was talking to or what he was saying, judging by the inflection of his voice, he was weighed down by having the conversation. _

_As she waited, she polished off the granola bar and snuck a peak into his bag. She spotted a bag of BBQ chips and eyed it covetously. She looked over at Martin who noticed what she was looking at and motioned for her to go ahead and take the bag. Grinning at him thankfully, she grabbed the bag and happily ate the salty treats when suddenly several forestry and fire trucks sped past them, headed towards the cabin. _

_She looked over at Martin who was following the vehicles with his eyes. He ended his call and got back in the car, telling her to go ahead and turn around so they could head back. _

_Later, as the firefighters and local rangers contained the cabin fire, local PD and EMT's arrived and it was chaotic to say the least. While a large group was actively working on containing the fire so it wouldn't spread into the forest – thankfully it had rained the night before so the foliage was still pretty moist – Martin had led the rest of the people into the forest, towards where Elber's body was located. _

_Kim sat in the passenger seat of Martin's sedan, answering the occasional question from a uniformed patrolman or park ranger. In the background, she saw Martin and other officers emerge from the forest and begin searching Elber's Jeep, pulling out various weapons and pieces of paper that they read through carefully. Occasionally, someone would look over at her with a questioningly look on their face and her heart would race and her stomach would tense up, wondering if they'd realized the truth about her. But her panic was always alleviated when Martin would send a small smile in her direction, assuaging her fears. _

_Sinking into the seat, she watched Martin as he handed business cards to various members of law enforcement and after a long discussion with the coroner, he handed him one as well. She wondered how long they would be here, the daylight softening to a pale pink as the sun started to set, when Martin walked over, opened up his car door and sat down. _

"_Are we leaving now?" she asked; her gut tense with worry again. _

"_Yeah, you're gonna need to talk to the DA's office when we get back to the city," Martin replied, putting the car key in the ignition. He noted the worried look on her face and assured her, "It'll be fine. Just tell them what you told me." _

_She nodded, praying that she could convince the DA as easily as she did Martin. In the back of her mind, she conjured up the story she weaved for Martin earlier to review it once more when she spotted her red Volkswagen. _

"_Maybe I should drive myself…?" she trailed off remembering her keys were in the cabin, now a pile of ash and singed timber. "Never mind, I'll need to get my spare key from home."_

"_Hang on," he replied, rolling down his window and calling over a uniformed state trooper. He pulled out another business card and pen and started scribbling on the back of it. The officer came over and Martin handed him the card, saying, "Will you please radio back the tow service coming for Elber's Jeep and ask them to also tow the VW bug to this address?" _

"_Sure thing," the officer replied, nodding obligingly at Kim before stepping towards where his truck was parked._

_When he was gone, Kim smiled gratefully at Martin. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome," he replied as he reached over and pulled his seatbelt on. "You've been through enough already, no need for you to worry about your car, too." _

_She grinned at him, a part of her softening at his thoughtful gesture. She nodded to where the officer was standing near his truck with his cell phone pressed against his ear and reading the information off the back of Martin's business card and said, "You sure are good at handing out those business cards." _

_He turned the ignition and the car roared to life. "It's the easiest way to give people my contact info so they can reach me for questions about the case, prep for trial or anything else they might need me for."_

"_I see," she murmured, a playful tone in her voice. He put his hand on the back of her seat and shifted to look out the rear window to make sure no one was in his way. Admiring his profile and the way he carried himself with ease and confidence, Kim found herself flirtatiously asking, "Can I have one?" He gave her a curious look so she clarified, "You know, in case I have questions or need you for anything." _

_He paused, looking at her with an inscrutable expression on his face before replying, "Sure." He reached into his pocket and his face fell. Shaking his head and chuckling, he said, "Sorry, it looks like I'm all out." _

_Smiling, she teasingly grumbled, "Story of my life."_

~*~

Sighing, Kim felt melancholy remembering how Martin used the cards as a pretense to see her later that night. Standing on her porch, he looked at her so shyly and full of affection that it made her heart ache to know he would never look at her that way again.

She noticed some movement in the hallway and looked again through the windows where she spotted Martin looking as tired and bored from all the instructions being decreed upon him as she was. At that moment, he glanced over at her and they shared a mutual look of sympathy before his face went hard again.

At that moment, Martin's discussion with Delmar and Jack was interrupted by a familiar face: Danny Taylor. Danny's eyes darted between her and Martin and a peevish expression crossed his face. Danny told the men something and then stepped out of her eye line before the door to the conference room opened up and he entered.

"Archaki," Danny coolly greeted the agent who was just finishing debriefing Kim. She looked over in time to see Danny eyeing her steadily as he moved towards where Archaki stood.

Kim squared her shoulders, her entire body wound up tight at seeing Martin's partner and friend. She followed him with her eyes, anxious by his presence.

"Taylor," Archaki greeted, shifting a sheath of papers around before jamming them into a file folder. Grinning, he tucked the folder under his arm and asked, "How's the gift hunt going? Did you find one yet?"

Kim watched as Danny gave Agent Acne a confused look. "Come again?"

Archaki smiled in response. "I heard your wife asking a couple of people on our floor about that Ariel doll."

Kim noted that it seemed like Archaki was trying to act as though he and Danny were friendly but judging by the coolness emanating from the lanky Latino, they were acquaintances at best. She restrained a smile at knowing she wasn't the only one who found Archaki annoying. It made her wonder if under any other circumstances she and Danny would've been friends.

Skeptical, Danny shook his head. "Still working on it," he replied with a clipped tone of voice.

"Understood, amigo, gotta keep that gorgeous wife of yours happy," Archaki responded.

Her eyes narrowing as she observed, Kim noticed that while Danny didn't reply to Archaki's comment, there was a glint of over-protectiveness in his eyes…like he doesn't appreciate it when any man "notices" his woman and the conversations she has around the office.

Archaki chuckled uncomfortably when it clicked that Danny had no desire to engage in banter with him. "I hear you're getting dragged into this case, too." Danny nodded slowly, his jaw tight. "So, what brings you here? Need me to give you some…"

"Actually," Danny shot Kim a look, "I'd like a moment with her alone." He turned back towards Archaki and flatly added, "You can leave now."

Archlaki's eyes darted between the two of them before stepping back and replying, "Sure." He nodded at Danny and started walking to the door, looking annoyed that he was not so subtly reminded of his junior agent status by being dismissed from the room. "I have to make a few calls anyway."

Kim watched as Archlaki left and found herself actually wanting him to stay – if only to have a witness around. As soon as the door clicked shut, she inhaled a shaky breath and shifted her attention to Danny.

He gave her a hard stare as he pulled a chair out and sat down across the table from her. Time seemed to slow as he kept his gaze trained on her face before his eyes drifted over to her shoulder. "How's the shoulder?" he asked, seeming more idly curious than genuinely concerned.

She inhaled a shaky breath, determined to not let herself be intimidated by the brusque agent as her hand automatically flew up to touch the healed wound. With as even a voice as she could muster, she replied, "It's fine. It's healed."

He nodded and they simply sat there, staring at each other for a long beat, the air heavy with tension. She got the sense he wanted something from her but what exactly she wasn't sure so she made a guess.

"I'm sorry about…" she paused, unsure exactly how phrase it, so she finished, "what happened."

"What happened?" Danny repeated, working the words over his tongue as if trying to decipher a coded meaning.

She gnawed on her lower lip and decided to try another tactic. "I just want you to know I wasn't going to really shoot you. I was just so scared and nervous… I panicked."

"You 'panicked'?" he repeated, incredulous.

"I'm trying to apologize," she said, bothered that he wasn't giving her any leeway. She knew her tone sounded much harder and defensive than she wanted but this was extremely difficult for her and she didn't like how miniscule Danny managed to make her feel. "After all, I never actually even aimed at you and I was the one who got shot…"

"You're damn right you were the one who got shot," Danny snapped, his voice filled with venom. "You ran from two federal agents and then pulled a gun on them, what the hell did you expect to happen?"

Thrown off balance by Danny's directness, she shakily stammered out, "I don't know what I was thinking. My fear just took over."

"You were just lucky that Martin fired first," Danny cautioned; his words level and tight.

"Are you just here to make me feel worse about what happened?" she asked, doing her best to not shirk away under Danny's icy glare. "Because I already feel bad enough; I don't need someone to remind me how I screwed up."

"Good, that's what I want you to remember when you're around Martin," Danny replied, his gaze locked on hers. "Because if you screw with him in any way, any way at all, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that this 'sweetheart deal' of yours falls apart."

"Is that a threat?" she asked, her emotions running the gambit between afraid and offended but mainly leaning towards the former.

"No," he replied, a dark grin on his face. "It's a promise."

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A/N: I'm not sure she wants this title I am bestowing upon her, but Anmodo totally deserves co-author credit for a big chunk of the Danny/Kim interactions. Her insight and contributions are totally invaluable and I'd be lost without her. Thank you!

Finally, huge thanks to those of you who are reading and a bigger thanks to those of you who review. Thanks so much!


	8. Believe the illusion

Chapter 7

~*~*~*~

_Sometimes the hardest thing and  
the right thing are the same.  
Maybe you want her, maybe you need her,  
maybe you started to compare  
to someone not there._

~ All At Once by The Fray

~*~*~*~

Martin stepped around the moving van and walked up the sidewalk to the two-story structure that would be his home for the next week. He passed over the threshold, eyeing Sam, who had stepped off to the side near the living room. She was wearing the uniform of a mover: dark blue coveralls. Her long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had her iPhone pressed up against her ear, a soft smile on her lips. It didn't take much guesswork for Martin to deduce that her conversation was in regards to Finn. Whenever she talked about her son, her posture would soften and an easy smile would cross her face.

As he passed, she looked up meeting his eyes. Feeling puckish, Martin grinned and teased, "Hey, get back to work. I don't pay you to stand around talking on the phone."

Sam shot him an amused look before shaking her head and returning her attention to her phone call. With a smirk on his face, Martin he continued on towards the den.

He glanced around, seeing that FBI agents made really good movers. All around him, agents dressed as movers hustled in and out of the house, unloading furniture and boxes. Their work was paying off because the house was not only almost completely unpacked, furniture situated, boxes unloaded, and things put away but they had also started decorating the house for the Christmas holiday. Two agents started decorating a Christmas tree while another started setting poinsettia plants strategically in the living room and foyer. He'd never seen so some of these agents move so quickly; he idly thought that if the bureau needed a way to raise funds, they could start a moving business.

Martin glanced around, wondering where Kim was since he knew she had arrived about an hour before he did but she was nowhere in sight.

Hearing some noise behind him, Martin turned to see Jack carrying a large box labeled, 'fragile.' He was also wearing dark blue coveralls but his hair was covered with a black baseball cap adorned with a small soccer ball that read, "Bustin' Ours So We Can Kick Yours." Martin was tempted to help out and take the box from Jack, his years as a junior agent beckoning him to be obliging, when he thought better of it and simply stepped out of Jack's path.

It wasn't until Jack moved into the dining area that Martin noticed that Lucy had been walking behind him. But unlike every other agent, she was dressed in tan slacks and a long sleeved denim shirt with a DirectTV insignia and carrying a toolbox.

Grinning at him, she greeted, "Hey, Martin." He nodded his head hello and was about to speak when she stopped short and called out to the agent's decorating the tree. "Don't put the ornaments up yet! I'm gonna have to get in there to set up the video cable."

Quickly, the two agents nodded, looking somewhat disappointed, and put the ornaments back in their boxes to wait until they got the okay to start decorating again.

Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, Martin asked, "Video cable?"

Nodding, Lucy adjusted her grip on the toolbox and continued on into the dining room. "Yeah, we decided that it was a good idea to do all the Christmas decorations since it makes it easier to install hidden cameras in the house." She set the toolbox on the table next to the cardboard box Jack had brought in earlier. Popping open Jack's box, she pulled out a porcelain Angel with real feather wings and an elaborate gown made of white lace and lavish gold trim. "I'm going to put this on top of the tree since it has the best vantage point of the first floor." She pointed to the angel's impossibly large eyes and explained, "There's a small video lens in each of the eye sockets so we can see from multiple angles."

Taking the angel in his hand, Martin studied the figure. "Impressive."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, taking the angel from him. She motioned to the poinsettias and added, "There will also be cameras in the plants which we will put in all of the rooms and halls."

Raising an eyebrow, Martin asked, "All of the rooms?"

"Well, not the bedrooms or the bathrooms, of course," she replied with a soft chuckle when a hot blush crept up her face. "I mean, you gotta have some privacy, right?"

Jack cleared his throat as he unloaded the rest of the box he brought in, removing a MacPro laptop, cable cords and other various technical looking devices. "The bottom line is to remember we are installing the cameras in the hopes that Jimmy shows up but there will be eyes on you and Kim Marcus at all times."

Martin nodded his head, fully understanding the warning in Jack's words.

"Hey, Luce," an agent called out. Martin looked over to see an agent he recognized as an escorting agent from the office stepping over holding a large poinsettia plant. The agent's eyes were fixed on Lucy's. "Do you want some of these things upstairs?"

Looking more authoritative than he'd ever seen her, Lucy nodded and said, "Yeah, Scott, please take it up but stay with it in case I need you to move it for a better angle."

"You got it," Scott replied before dashing up the stairs.

Stepping around the table, Lucy flipped open the laptop and began typing. Martin couldn't help but smile at the young woman who seemed to thrive in her element of all things technological.

Both he and Jack moved to stand behind the doe-eyed young woman as she clicked the keys furiously. Hearing footsteps headed their way, Martin looked over to see Sam headed in their direction, clutching her iPhone.

"Hey Jack, I'm gonna head over to the rental house now," Sam announced, jerking her head in the direction of the house located directly behind them. "I told Delmar I'd stop by to get a lay of the land before my shift."

Martin tried to not think about the weirdness of being observed by a former lover while spending time pretending his ex-con artist girlfriend is his now a happy suburban wife.

"Alright, see you later," Jack replied, glancing quickly at Sam before refocusing his attention on the computer screen.

Sam nodded and took a step to leave before pausing to look directly at Martin and saying, "See you on the other side, Granger."

"Later," Martin replied with a wry smile as Sam waved goodbye before disappearing into the foyer and out the door.

Refocusing his gaze on the computer, the video screen came to life as an image appeared on screen of the upstairs hallway. They could see the door to the master bedroom and the guest bathroom but the view to the guest bedroom was in a blind spot.

Lucy leaned forward and shouted in the general direction of the stairway. "Scott! Turn the plant a little to the left!"

On the computer screen they saw the angle shift but in doing so, they could now see the guest bedroom door and guest bathroom but the door the master bedroom was not visible.

Sighing heavily, Lucy turned her head to look up at Jack. "Sorry, Agent Malone. It can only be one or the other. I only have enough cameras for each room and I only assigned one to the hallway."

As Jack and Lucy debated on which angle was preferable, Martin kept his gaze on the screen and watched as Kim suddenly emerged from the master bedroom carrying a small box. Directly behind her, Agent Archaki appeared and started speaking animatedly to her. She stopped and pivoted, glaring at Archaki as their conversation seemed to escalate into a heated discussion.

"Well, keep it on Marcus' room," Jack replied, frowning at the scene that seemed to be playing out upstairs. He glanced at Martin and asked, "Do we know which room will be hers?"

Forcing himself to look away from the computer screen, Martin replied, "Um, no." He took a step in the direction of the stairs, grateful for an excuse, and said, "I'll go find out."

Taking the stairs two at a time, Martin neared the second floor landing in time to hear the frustration in Kim's raised voice.

"I told you I don't care," Kim fumed.

Martin stepped into the hallway and caught sight of Scott kneeling next to the poinsettia staring uncomfortably at the exchange between Archaki and Kim.

"Cut the attitude," Archaki replied, staring down at Kim. "I'm in charge and you do not get first choice." He leaned in closer, getting in Kim's face. "You will do as I say."

Feeling anger rise up in him at seeing Archaki's intimidation tactics, Martin asked, "What's going on here?"

Both Kim and Archaki turned to look at him, startled. Kim bore an expression of surprise on her face that slowly morphed into one of relief. For a split second, Martin felt the same feeling he had the day they met: the same overwhelming sensation of wanting to rescue her, wanting to keep her safe. But as quickly as it arrived, he fought it back, reminding himself that his only role in her life right now was that of Special Agent to collaborating informant.

He shifted his attention to Archaki. "I asked you a question."

Swallowing so hard his Adam's apple bobbed, Archaki rapidly explained, "I was just informing Ms. Marcus that she will be assigned a bedroom after you've made a decision on which room you prefer." Martin hadn't really had much interaction with Archaki previously but he suddenly understood why Danny didn't care for him much. Archaki seemed to be an agent who did things by the book but there was an aura of slime about him. "She had placed her things in the master bedroom and I told her to not settle in since I was fairly sure you would rather have the larger room." Archaki released a sneering laugh that sounded like a sickly Hyena. "I mean, any room will be bigger than her prison cell, right?"

Glancing at Kim askance, Martin noticed that she had lowered her head and folded her arms across her chest. He knew her well enough to know she was angry and it was taking every ounce of restraint to not throttle Archaki for the way he was talking about her like she wasn't there. Actually, he was talking about her like she was there but didn't have any regard to her feelings.

Taking a breath, Martin quietly said, "Kim, you can have the master bedroom."

"Agent Fitzgerald…" Archaki began to protest when Martin shot him a hard, warning look to keep his mouth shut.

Kim raised her head, eyeing Martin, confused. "Are you sure? I really don't care. I only put my stuff in there because I liked the view of the backyard."

"Take it then," Martin replied, jerking his chin down the hall. "I'd rather have an eye on the street anyhow."

Kim stared up at him, hesitant, before finally nodding and walking slowly back to the bedroom, shooting Archaki a look as she passed him. She reached the door to the bedroom, pausing long enough to glance gratefully at Martin, before disappearing inside, shutting the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Martin stepped up and got in Archaki's face. "I never want to hear you speak to her that way again. No matter what your opinion is of her past actions, she is a part of this investigation and you will treat her with respect. Do you understand?"

Archaki narrowed his eyes at him, a visible scowl on his face but had enough sense to not try and counter a senior agent. "Yes, sir."

Martin stared at him for a beat, long enough to assure Archaki he was serious, before turning around and walking back down the hallway. As he passed Scott, he told him to angle the plant the way he first did before heading down the stairs to tell Lucy that Kim would be staying the master bedroom. He carefully avoided meeting Jack's gaze, knowing full well he witnessed the exchange with Archaki.

The rest of the afternoon flew by without incident and Martin found himself sitting in the living room near where Lucy was putting the finishing touches on the video cameras. He glanced around, impressed at how quickly the house had been completely moved in, everything put in its place so all Martin and Kim had to do was unpack their own personal items like clothes and toiletries. He glanced up at the ceiling wondering what Kim was doing. She had kept to herself upstairs in her bedroom and Martin guessed that after spending months with people monitoring all her moves in a small cell, she was relishing a little privacy for a little while.

Once they were done, the agents started gathering their own things like the hand trucks, moving blankets, and utility knives. A few agents bid him goodnight and Martin waved farewell as they shuffled out the door to one of the two moving trucks parked outside.

"Okay, we're all set," Lucy announced from where she sat near the Christmas tree that was now completely decorated, right up to the surveillance angel affixed on the top. She snapped the laptop shut and stood, tilting her head side-to-side and stretching out her arms, trying to work out the kinks from sitting bent over a computer for the last few hours. When she was done, she gathered up her toolbox and glanced over at Jack. "All the cameras are up and running and the audio is good to go."

"Great," Jack replied, stepping over.

Nodding her head proudly, Lucy smiled at Martin and said, "Good night and good luck."

"Night, Lucy." Martin stood up and offered her a grateful smile and slight wave in return as she started down the hallway. Waiting until she was out of earshot, Martin shifted his attention to Jack. "So…?"

Jack glanced around, his eyes thoughtfully scanning the décor with a long scrutinizing look. "You know, this is a nice house."

Taken aback by Jack's comment, Martin shrugged, uncertain. "Yeah, I guess so."

Stepping over to the mantle, Jack studied the framed photos resting on the little ledge. "You know, when I first joined the bureau I was assigned to Organized Crime and worked undercover."

"Yeah?" Martin commented, unsure where this conversation was headed.

"Yeah," he quietly explained, his voice heavy with memories. "What I remember most was what it was like to live a lie – because that's what going undercover means, you are lying about who you are and why you're there." He reached over and picked up a silver picture frame that was supposed to make the Granger's cover more realistic. Inside the frame was a black and white wedding photograph that one of the bureau tech's had PhotoShopped with Martin and Kim's face. "The only thing harder than slipping into another persona is morphing back out." With his eyes on the picture, Jack finished, "It can be remarkably easy to believe the illusion," he looked over at Martin, "particularly if the lie reflects a truth you want for yourself."

Martin pressed his lips tightly together, understanding what Jack was telling him in a non-direct way so it wouldn't seem like he was lecturing him. Martin wished he could argue and tell Jack that he had no cause for concern but he also knew that when he saw the way Archaki was behaving towards Kim, he had an irrational need to protect her – an instinct that he followed with no regard to how it looked to the other agent.

Sensing Martin's slight hesitation, Jack said, "It's not too late. If you have any doubts, we can still get Dunlop to take over."

Resolved, Martin shook his head. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm doing this. It'll be okay."

Jack gave him an appraising look before finally saying, "Alright," and thankfully leaving it there. He replaced the photo on the mantle and started to the door with Martin in tow. As he walked, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Martin. "Here's the information for GNB. I want you and Danny to be at the bank at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow to meet with the Assistant Bank Manager, Elizabeth Riley. Since we switched you and Dunlop at the last minute, she's going to give you a crash course on how the bank is run and fill in any gaps on yours, Viv's and Danny's cover."

Pocketing the piece of paper, Martin asked, "What are their covers anyway? No one ever told me."

"Oh, well you're posing as the bank manager, of course." Jack looked over at Martin as he continued explaining, "Viv will pose as a floating bank teller so that she can have a little more flexibility in case I need her back at the office."

"And Danny?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of Jack's mouth. "Well, since he's the only one out of you three with no banking background, I had to give him a job that explains his presence in the bank and would allow him to move about freely." Martin reached the door first and held it open for Jack who paused in the doorway and finished, "So he'll be posing as an Efficiency Expert evaluating the bank."

Martin shook his head, an amused expression crossing his face. "Oh man, I can't decide if he'll like it or hate it."

"It's Danny, he'll figure out how to make it work," Jack quipped, stepping out the door into the chilly night air. The moving van was idle in the driveway, Lucy and another agent huddled in the cab, waiting for Jack to board. Stopping and turning around to face Martin, Jack added, "Be careful here. No one knows better than me how precious it is to get a second chance." Martin eyed him, a restrained smile on his lips. Conceding, Jack added, "And a third and a fourth…"

Releasing a soft chuckle, Martin nodded. "Thanks again, Jack."

Giving him a final nod, Jack said, "Good luck," before promptly turning around and walking down the sidewalk to the waiting van.

Martin closed the door and secured the lock. He turned around and became keenly aware at how the house felt eerily quiet and empty after everyone left. He sighed heavily and walked back to the living room, casting a furtive glance at the Christmas tree. He stepped over to the heavily decorated fake blue spruce, studying it carefully. He held out a finger and gently tapped an ornament with his finger as he thought that he was getting his own Christmas at home after all…

~*~

_Martin stepped out of the elevator and fished his key from the back pocket of his CoolMax running jacket. As he slid the key into the lock he heard his phone ringing from inside his apartment. He quickly unlocked the door and rushed inside, grabbing his cell phone off the coffee table._

_Pressing talk, he answered, "Fitzgerald." _

"_Hello, Martin," his father, Victor's voice greeted him. "How are you doing this evening?" _

_Grabbing the sweat towel he had left out before his run, Martin patted his forehead and neck dry. "Good. I just got back from a run." _

"_I really miss running," Victor sadly commented. His father used to be an avid runner, the exercise helping him maintain his lean physique but the years of pounding the pavement wore down his knees until one day running was no longer an option. These days, he worked out on the Elliptical but hated that it kept him confined to the gym. Sighing heavily, his father decided it was time to change the subject. "Did you get the package your mother sent?"_

_Glancing at the large box on the floor next to the bookshelves, Martin replied, "Yeah, I did. Thanks."_

_He hadn't bothered to open up the box yet since he had planned on taking it with him to Jamie's place on Christmas Eve. Besides, he knew that there were no surprises in the gifts from his parent's. Every year since he joined the bureau he got the same standard gifts: dress shirts, ties, socks, undershirts, a pair of cufflinks, and a watch; the only surprises were the color and styles. _

"_Did you get mine?" he asked, stepping around the box and heading to his bedroom. _

"_I believe so. Your mother mentioned them while she was packing things for Paris," Victor replied, his voice carrying a slight tinge of guilt that for the first Christmas in several years they would not be spending the holiday with their only son. "She's very excited to see Eloise Clawson. They were dorm mates back at Pembroke, you know."_

"_She may have mentioned it," Martin replied, knowing full well that his mother loved talking about all the fun she had had in college and the adventures she and Eloise used to go on with his father and Eloise's now husband, Edward, when they were all attending Brown University. As much as he lamented that he wasn't going to spend the holiday in Washington, he knew that this trip was exceptionally special to his parents. _

"_So, Margaret mentioned that you called," Victor announced, signaling the end of their father-son chit-chat. _

_Martin's stomach churned. "Yeah, I need to talk to you about something. I need a favor actually." He tossed the towel, now moist with sweat, in the general direction of his clothes hamper. Sitting down on the trunk at the foot of his bed, he started toeing off his sneakers and pulling off his socks. "It's about a case that SAC Delmar is working." _

_Victor cleared his throat – an act that Martin immediately read as his father's tactic of showing that he had already guessed what this phone call was about. "What exactly kind of favor do you need, Martin?"_

"_I volunteered to go undercover in Agent Dunlop's place," Martin quickly replied and before his father could protest, he quickly added, "I already got Delmar and Jack to agree and assured them that my previous connection to Kim Marcus will in no way interfere with my responsibilities as an undercover agent." Kneading his toes into the carpet, he carefully finished, "I just need to know that you will not challenge my involvement."_

_His father went quiet and believe it or not, but this was progress. Years ago, Victor Fitzgerald would just declare his decision without pausing to think or consider what Martin was saying or asking. But in the years since Martin had been shot and his subsequent addiction to the painkillers had been revealed, their relationship had shifted. They weren't exactly close but he found that his father was now more willing to hear Martin out instead of simply trying to get him to bend to his will. _

"_Martin, this woman caused you a lot of pain," Victor said at last. "The only reason Delmar was able to arrange this deal for her was because her sentence wasn't severe, and she was placed in a minimum security facility – like you had asked me to help arrange for her. I managed to keep it low key and the news of her arrest was never publicized – all so I could help preserve your reputation and career." On the other end of the line, Martin could easily imagine the frown and frustration on his father's face. "Now you want to put yourself in her orbit again? Why would you want to do that to yourself?" _

_Martin bowed his head, resting both his elbows on his knees and the phone pressed up against his ear. Sighing heavily, he started listing off all the reasons that he had already given to Jack and Delmar. He hated that his arguments lacked the heart they did the first time he'd listed them earlier in the day, but by the third round he was weary of having to defend himself. _

_When he was done, he waited with bated breath for his father's response. And when it came, it was actually not surprising in the least. _

"_Damn it, Martin," Victor replied in his classic knee-jerk response. "__Why does it always seem as though you're deliberately trying to sabotage your career as well as your personal life? You deserve the best Martin, but the choices you make…" he trailed off, frustration ebbing at sound of every audible breath. "__If you do this and something goes wrong… I won't be able to help you sweep it under the rug again."_

"_I never asked you to do any of that," Martin countered, hating that whenever he argued with his father his voice came out sounding like a sullen teenager. "I was willing to take the repercussions of my actions. Whatever you did, you did of your volition."_

"_You're my only child, Martin. You may not understand what that means, but I can never just stand by and watch you throw your life down the toilet when I am in a position to do something about it."_

_His father sounded so earnest and sincere that if his intention was to make Martin feel guilty, it worked. _

"_I know that, Dad," he replied, his voice softening. "I'm not asking you to do anything but trust me. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I just need to fix my first one and this is the only way to do it."_

_After a long beat, Victor asked, "Delmar's already signed on?" _

"_Yes," Martin confirmed. It did not escape his attention that his father clearly avoided mentioning Jack. After all these years, his father still did not care for Jack Malone but at least by this point he finally learned it was useless to try and sway his son to share his criticisms._

"_I wish I could talk you out of it, but something tells me I'd just be wasting my breath," Victor said with resignation and Martin knew that he had managed to swing the final vote in his favor. "I won't interfere."_

"_Thanks, Dad," Martin replied, hoping his inflection truly expressed his gratitude. _

_His father's voice went soft as he said, "Just be careful around her, son. I've always admired how you try to see the good in people but sometimes people just don't have any good in them." _

~*~

Martin was still standing by the tree when he heard the soft pratfall of footsteps coming down the stairs. Turning around, Kim emerged with her arms wrapped closely around her, looking wary and skittish at the sight of him.

"Hey," she greeted him, taking a deep breath. "Everybody gone?"

"Yeah," he replied, mimicking her posture from across the room.

They stood there, quietly staring at each for a beat, each unsure what role they were supposed to be playing when they were alone together.

Breaking the silence, Kim tilted her head towards the general direction of the kitchen and explained, "I got hungry and was just going to get something to eat."

They shared an awkward smile and he knew that they were most likely each recalling what a significant role their love of food factored into their relationship. However, as soon as he found his feelings for her softening, he caught sight of the poinsettia at the foot of the staircase. Remembering that there was a camera hidden in the lush red plant was like a hard jolt back to reality and he immediately squared his shoulders, reminding himself why he was here.

"I still need to go unpack," he said quickly, making a move to the stairs. She stepped aside and he felt her eyes on him as he hurried up the staircase.

He bounded over each step, knowing that he needed to get some distance between the two of them. If he was truly honest with himself--when he saw her standing there, in that split second before he remembered why he was here--he wanted to walk up and kiss her.

And that was precisely the absolute last thing he should ever feel any inclination to do.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: As usual, I wish I had better words to express my gratitude for Anmodo's immense contributions to this fic but I guess I will settle for giving her yet another heartfelt thanks. Thank you!

And thanks so much to all of you for reading this fic and reviewing. It helps feed my writer's soul. Thank you!


	9. Danny Serpico

Chapter 8

~*~*~*~

_So this is where you are  
And this is where I am  
So this is where you are  
And this is where I've been  
Somewhere between  
Unsure and a hundred_

~ Hundred by The Fray

~*~*~*~

Clutching a hot cup of coffee with his leather gloved hand, Danny walked briskly across the street amid a swarm of New Yorkers hustling to work. He stepped quickly as all around him men and women hurried towards their places of business, bumping him with their elbows and shoulders as they all raced to cross the avenue before the light changed again. It was times like these that Danny appreciated his height, able to look high above most of the heads that surrounded him.

He had a smile planted on his face as he thought about the day ahead. The most notable thing on his calendar was that later this afternoon he was meeting Elena at the Obstetrician's office for their first ultrasound. He couldn't wait to see the first image of their son or daughter. Just thinking about it sent an exciting feeling throughout his body. This was the only part of his day he was looking forward to since the other thing was posing as an Efficiency Expert assigned to evaluate the bank. He normally liked the idea of going undercover, but he was dreading the reaction of the employees to his presence. He tried to talk Jack into thinking of some other role he could take on, but Jack argued that there was no time to train him in banking procedures. Danny argued that his role could be a trainee, but Jack explained that he would actually have to learn something and it would occupy all his time in the bank so he couldn't actually keep an eye out for anything unusual.

Glancing askance, he spotted Martin headed towards the bank from the opposite direction. He was dressed similar to Danny: suit, black leather shoes, under a long winter coat and scarf. The only difference was Danny's coat was navy blue with a navy scarf while Martin's was black with a red scarf.

"Morning," Danny greeted with a wide smile when they both reached the front of the bank at the same time. His face was pinched tight with cold and the early morning air was frosty, when he spoke he could see his visible breath.

"Hey," Martin gave a small twitch of lips that was supposed to pass for a smile. His face was blank and he had his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets.

Reading his body language, Danny asked, "So how was life at Casa de Granger's?" He was seriously interested in how Martin answered, knowing that he would know if his friend was lying. "How's the wife?"

Martin shrugged. "It was awkward but fine."

"Just fine?" Danny asked before taking a sip of his coffee, the hot beverage warming him from within.

Martin sighed audibly. "After everyone left, I talked to her for a few minutes about what she was going to eat for dinner, and then I went upstairs where I stayed alone in my room the rest of the night."

Danny eyed him, trying to decide if he was lying or not. Surprisingly, it seemed that Martin may have finally figured out how to use his poker face because Danny wasn't sure one-way or another. "So, that's it?"

Shooting him a perturbed look, Martin replied, "Look, if you don't believe me, watch the tape. I am being monitored twenty-four seven, you know."

The two men eyed each other almost daringly, when behind them they heard the locks to the bank doors click.

Turning around, Danny spotted an attractive woman pushing one of the doors open and watching them curiously.

"Are you Martin Granger and Danny Serpico?" the comely woman asked. Danny nodded so she reached out to shake his hand. "Hi, I'm the assistant bank manager, Elizabeth Riley but everyone just calls me Eli."

"Hello," he greeted, shaking her hand. She appeared to be in her early thirties and had long, wavy honey brown hair and large green eyes. She was wearing a light brown scoop-neck sweater, low-slung jeans with a dark brown leather belt and boots. Releasing his grip, he pointed to himself and introduced, "I'm Serpico," his voice indicating that he clearly liked the way that name sounded coming off his lips. He mentally made a note to thank Jack for giving him the coolest undercover name ever. Then Danny pointed to Martin and added, "He's Granger."

"You can just call me Martin," Martin said as he held out his own hand.

"Hi," Eli greeted, shaking hands. Danny noted that Elizabeth's gaze lingered over Martin for a beat before she motioned for them to enter. "Come on in." They stepped past her, into the bank and waited as she locked the doors after them. As she did, Martin unbuttoned his coat and pulled it off. Pulling her key out of the lock, Eli said, "Per Agent Malone's instructions, I called everyone in for a meeting this morning at eight a.m. so that you can introduce yourselves…" Eli turned around and her expression fell at seeing Martin's suit. "Oh."

"What?" Martin asked, looking down and straightening his tie. "Did I spill something on myself?"

Shaking her head and smiling, she explained, "No, sorry, you look great…I mean fine." She waved her hands apologetically. "I just realized that I forgot to tell Agent Malone that Friday's are casual – so that generally means jeans or khakis."

"Is it a problem that we're wearing suits?" Danny asked, secretly hoping that it was so he could go home and change. He'd rather wear jeans than a suit to work if given the choice.

Eli shook her head. "Nah, no, it's fine." She gestured for them to follow her further into the bank and added, "Besides, it's your first day so I'm sure no one will give it a second thought."

"That's good," Martin replied, folding his coat and draping it over his arm. "Although I've always wanted a job that had 'casual Fridays'. The FBI hasn't gotten the memo on that yet."

Eli and Martin shared a small smile before she turned and walked to the middle of the bank lobby and asked, "So, before everyone arrives, how much detail do you want me to get into on how the bank operates?" She stopped and motioned around the ubiquitous looking lobby. "Agent Dunlop required a lot of detailed explanation," she said, a tinge of frustration evident in her tone, "but seeing as how Agents Delmar and Malone sprung this bait and switch on me at the very last minute, I'd just as soon focus on what you really need to know."

Glancing around the lobby, Martin replied, "Yeah, sorry about the short notice, but don't worry: we're quick studies. I think the stuff out here is pretty obvious to anyone who has been in a bank before." Danny nodded in agreement as he took a notepad from his breast pocket to make notes, knowing full well most everyone knows that the small islands held deposit and withdrawal slips, the ropes marked off where customers should stand in line and the two desks off the far wall were designated for customer service. "Why don't you focus on the other side of the teller counters?"

"Great," Eli replied, signaling for them to get in step behind her. "We'll start with where your office will be so you can drop off your coats."

As Eli walked ahead, she pointed out where the break room was located, the restrooms – which were restricted to employees only, and the small conference room. Glancing into the conference room, Danny noticed that there were bagels, small containers of cream cheese, and a few carafes of coffee already laid out. Noticing him eyeing the spread, Eli explained that she always buys goodies when she has the staff come in early for a meeting.

She stepped to the office across the hall from the conference room and pushed the door open, clicking on the light. "Gus, our real manager, cleaned out most of his stuff," she looked over at Martin, "so it's pretty basic, but it has everything you need."

Martin hung his coat up on the rack beside the door and replied, "It's only temporary so it'll be fine."

Walking in behind Martin, Danny shrugged off his own coat and asked, "So, where am I going to be?"

Eli's eyes went wide as they darted between Martin and Danny. "Um, Agent Malone told me that you wouldn't need an office – that you would just sort of be wandering around."

"Oh," Danny replied with a sigh before hanging his coat up next to Martin's. "Lucky me."

With a restrained smile, Martin teased, "It shouldn't be problem, Danny. Back at the office you spend more time at Elena's desk than your own." As soon as Danny shot him a hard look, Martin shifted his attention to back to the pretty bank manager. "Eli, can you give us a tour of the teller cages and vault?"

Nodding, Eli grinned at Martin. "Follow me."

Eli led Danny and Martin to the area behind the teller line where Danny counted seven stalls and then made a note on his notepad.

Pointing to the two teller areas at the far end, Eli began explaining, "Those two are for commercial deposits. Mina and Sandy are currently assigned to those transactions."

"What can you tell us about them?" Danny asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

After pausing thoughtfully, Eli replied, "Mina's worked here longer than anyone – including me and Gus. She's not much of a people person but always balances." Her face went tighter as she continued, "Sandy is very, very right-wing Republican. I recommend you avoid talking politics around her unless you share her views. Last election things got very tense around here."

"What about the rest of the tellers?" Danny followed up.

Eli nodded. "The other five cages are for regular transactions – cashing checks, making deposits, etc." She started pointing down the line to each cage to list off who worked where and what information she could easily share about them. "Ian loves renaissance fairs and created a long lineage for his 'character' that goes back five generations. Sue is married and has three kids. Roberta is also married and loves movies and TV." She paused and pointed to the final two cages as she finished, "Now, the final two only work part-time. At twenty, Amber is our youngest employee. She attends City College and always has some sort of relationship drama going on in her life. Carl is ex-military but completely jaded on government and loves to talk conspiracy theories." She made a face and joked, "Needless to say, I do my best to keep Sandy and Carl from interacting too much."

"You seem to know your employees pretty well," Danny commented as he jotted the teller names with the personal details onto his notepad.

"It's pretty much unavoidable since we spend forty-hours a week together," she explained, tucking a strand of errant hair behind her ear.

Nodding, Martin commented, "What are their individual cage limits?"

"Well, we try to keep each cage between ten and twenty thousand each, that includes the top drawer and the coin safe," she answered with her gaze fixed on Martin's. "But this time of year, that cap is a bit fluid. We have a lot of new bills on hand since we have quite a few older customers who still like giving money envelopes as gifts for the holiday and people wanting cash for tips since they are attending a lot of social functions during this season. As for the more regular transactions like check cashing we use Tony T.C.R." She gestured to something behind Martin so Danny followed the wave of her hand and saw a small gray metal box-like device sitting on the counter. She must have noticed the confused look on Danny's face because she paused and clarified, "Sorry, we nicknamed the Teller Cash Recycler Tony. We use Tony as much as possible since he's really fast and pretty accurate for balancing end of day. He generally holds anywhere between forty up to a little over a hundred thousand."

Danny furrowed his brow, perplexed. "Why is there such a wide range?"

Martin looked like he already knew the answer but held back, letting Eli take the lead since they were on her turf.

"Well, thirty is pretty good for most day-to-day, Monday thru Thursday transactions. We don't often need the amount to be very high," she explained. "But on every other Friday we get a high volume of check cashers from various nearby Construction companies. Since most of them are day laborers who just want to cash out their checks, it's easier to use Tony."

Danny nodded as he noted the information into his notebook. Jerking his chin to the desks where the customer service reps and loan officers were located, he asked, "What can you tell us about the rest of the staff?"

"Alex and Lola are the customer service reps who handle opening new accounts, credit card applications, etc. Alex is engaged to his college sweetheart and Lola is in the middle of a very messy divorce." Taking a breath, she trained her eyes on the final two desks located near the back wall. "Roland and Gabe are our loan officers. Roland's wife is undergoing chemo for cancer so he's taking a lot of personal time right now to take her to and from treatments." She released a sad, heavy breath before continuing, "And Gabe has a live-in boyfriend and is openly gay. F.Y.I., he resents it when people ignore his gayness. He thinks it's more polite to acknowledge it than not." She grinned and added, "He can be a bit of a diva but he's also very funny."

Martin chuckled and wrote something down in his notepad.

"Oh, and I almost forgot but be careful around Lola. It looks like both of you are married," Eli said as she motioned to their wedding rings. "But that won't stop Lola, she's hell bent on flirting with every man within reaching distance to get back at her soon-to-be ex."

Danny smiled. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm the only one who's 'real' married. Martin is only pretending to be married for the case but he's as single as they come."

Closing his eyes in embarrassment, Martin shook his head before tossing Danny an annoyed glare. "For the purposes of our work here, I'm married. Now is there anything else you need to tell us about your co-workers? Anything suspicious or odd or…"

Eli worked her jaw and glanced around the bank before finally looking at Danny and Martin again.

"If you have something to say, now's the time to say it," Danny urged, noticing that while Eli was helpful, she wasn't exactly thrilled to be giving them this tour.

"I intend to give you my full cooperation, but I would like to request that you tread lightly. Getting a new manager is always an adjustment, but when we have such a big change right before a major holiday at the end of the year and he brings an efficiency expert in with him to boot… with the economy the way it is…" Eli trailed off before inhaling a deep breath and carefully saying, "This is going to make my staff very worried about their jobs. We were one of the few branches able to dodge the last series of layoffs. And since I can't tell them you aren't truly an efficiency expert and that their jobs really are safe, I'd greatly appreciate anything you can do to assuage their fears."

"We'll do everything we can," Martin assured her, "But you need to know that the reason we cannot include the rest of the staff on our presence is because we can't be sure how the suspects get access to bank information."

"I know that but…" she paused, trying again, "These people are like my family and I really doubt they have anything to do with the robberies." Eli was clearly exasperated at the thought of her staff being 'suspects'.

Martin nodded sympathetically before evenly explaining, "We'll do our best to minimize their fears, but Danny is still here to ask questions and get information."

"Of course," Eli replied as she nodded at Danny who was doing his best to give her a reassuring smile.

Martin nodded and asked, "So how about showing us the vault now?"

"Sure," Eli replied, stepping over towards the large walk-in safe that was on the far wall behind a security desk. At the security desk were two monitors with four split screens showing all the angles of the security cameras. Eli explained that the bank has a part-time security guard, Felix, but he only worked two days a week due to the banks budget cuts so the camera feed is sent directly to an off-site server. Stepping into the safe, Danny noted that two of the walls were lined with safe deposit boxes. At the rear of the safe was a thick glass door that Danny recognized as being bullet and shatter proof. She pressed a code into the keypad to unlock the door and they stepped in to find a large safe on the right side. There were two additional monitors posted alongside the safe. "This is the bank's main vault. On average, we hold somewhere between four hundred to six hundred thousand dollars on a daily basis."

Danny and Martin shared a look at hearing that high number when Martin asked, "And after Christmas?"

Eli raised an eyebrow as she answered, "Close to two million, if not more."

Impressed by the amount, Danny blew out a soft whistle when he noticed some movement on the security monitor. He watched as two women chatted casually as the older woman with short, curly auburn hair that looked stiff to touch unlocked the door and stepped into the bank.

Following his gaze, Eli announced, "Well, it looks like the work day has begun. Mina and Sandy have arrived." She smiled at them both before stepping past to exit the vault. "I'll go help them set up before the meeting."

They both watched her leave before Danny stepped up next to Martin and quietly said, "So you ready to be bank manager, Martin Granger?"

Snorting, Martin retorted, "I'm about as ready as you are to be Efficiency Expert Danny Serpico."

Danny's smile fell. "They're going to hate me, aren't they?"

"Yes," Martin replied as he slowly shuffled toward the vault exit. "Yes they are."

"I still don't understand why Jack couldn't have given me a different cover?" Danny bemoaned. "Something more befitting my undercover name, like a bank executive, who is just here to remind himself what it's like to work the front lines again?"

Laughing softly, Martin glanced over at him and joked, "Don't look at me. I was kind of hoping that he was going to make you my butler."

"Very funny," Danny grumbled before sarcastically adding, "At least then I'd be able to keep an eye on you and Kim."

Martin stopped short and gave him a pointed look. "I told you, there's nothing to worry about. I'm not some love-sick teenager who can't be around a girl without losing his head."

Danny slapped Martin on the back and cautioned, "Martin, if you really believed that, you wouldn't have spent all of last night locked up alone in your bedroom hiding from her."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: Big round of thanks to Anmodo for her immense, huge, invaluable contributions to this chapter. Co-author credit isn't enough. She not only guided me around the huge wall known as writer's block, but she contributed lots of suggestions and dialogue to this chapter. Thank you SO very much.

Now, I am trying to be better about posting but life is KER-RaZy right now so I will do my best to keep this story moving steadily along. Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing.


	10. Not a classic fairytale romance

Chapter 9

~*~*~*~

_I know you can't believe  
I could just leave it wrong  
And you can't make it right_

~ Heartless by Kanye West

~*~*~*~

Martin sunk deep into the leather seats of the Lexus savoring the comfort of seat warmers. As he merged into the right lane on the I-95, he couldn't help but note how much easier the drive was heading into Westchester versus driving to the city earlier this morning. He understood why most suburbanites used the train, but being an FBI agent he needed to have ready access to a car on a moments notice so that meant he needed to do this drive on a daily basis. He never appreciated how lucky he was to live in the Manhattan until he had to suffer the burdens of a commute.

As if on cue, he rounded a curve and was promptly greeted by a sea of red taillights. Carefully easing his foot off the gas pedal, he slowed the car down and noticed that about two hundred yards down there were flashing orange lights that signaled construction delays.

Deciding that the ride home was going to take longer than he expected, he rested his hands loosely on top of the steering wheel, tapping it gently with the palm of his hands in time with the classic rock playing on the radio. He was in a surprisingly good mood, his fake work day going even better than he had hoped.

~*~

_Reading through a stack of loan applications, Martin crossed the bank lobby, quickly glancing up to make sure to avoid bumping into customers. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Lola smiling at him, coyly. He gave her a short nod and polite smile before refocusing on the papers in his hands and continuing on to his office. _

"_Can't say I didn't warn you," Eli quietly quipped as she sidled up alongside Martin. _

_Glancing up at her, he grinned. "She must be very angry at her ex." He did his best to not look over in Lola's direction, afraid that any unnecessary gazes would be misconstrued as flirting. "I've never met such an aggressive woman." _

_Giving Lola a casual wave, out of the corner of her mouth, Eli whispered, "Tell me about it. I'm praying that it's only going to be a temporary phase." _

_Martin chuckled softly as they continued on to his office. "So, I'm guessing you just didn't wander over here to help preserve my honor." _

_Releasing a light__,__ lilting laugh, Eli replied, "I saw that Gabe gave you his stack of loan documents so I thought you might want my help going through them." _

"_Thanks, I'd appreciate that," he said as they reached his office and he pushed open his door. He motioned for Eli to enter ahead of him. As she sat down on one of the chairs in the office, he stepped around behind his desk and plopped himself__down on the dark brown vinyl chair, dropping the sheath of papers onto the desktop. "I think I remember mostly what to look for on loan applications, but it's been awhile."_

_Grabbing the stack of papers, Eli started dividing up the three separate loan applications before setting two of them down and leafing through the first one. "It couldn't have been that long." She clicked her pen and started making a few notes on one of the pages before looking up at him. "You seemed pretty comfortable during the morning meeting and moving around the bank today." _

_He shrugged, deciding that he should paperclip each application so as not to confuse them. "It was pretty surprising how much came back to me. Of course, I do have to stay pretty fresh on this stuff. You wouldn't believe how much time agents spend going through financials when looking for a missing person." She tilted her head, as if thinking over his words, when Danny wandered into the office looking annoyed. Biting his lip to prevent the mocking smile threatening to spread across his face, Martin asked, "How's your day going, Serpico?" _

"_Oh, I think you already know," Danny grumbled, stepping over to the large windows that lined the bank manager's office giving a full view of the lobby. He rested his hands low on his hips and stared out at the line of tellers with narrow hard, suspicious eyes. "They either barely acknowledge my presence or give me dirty looks." _

_Martin followed Danny's eye line in time to see Ian and Carl huddled together, chatting conspiratorially, as they glanced over in Danny's direction. He heard Eli release a faint snicker and saw that she was also doing her best to not make Danny feel even worse; but was as amused as Martin by this entire situation. _

"_Danny, we're here to work, not make friends," Martin commented, trying to get his friend to look at the situation from another angle. "It's only for a week and then when this is done, you can tell them who you really are and everyone can have a big laugh about it." _

_Sighing, exasperated, Danny turned around and moved to the empty chair next to Eli. "I know that but…" he sat down, shaking his head, "I'm used to being the guy everyone likes."_

_Looking around his desktop to try and locate a paperclip, Martin deadpanned, "I didn't like you when I first met you." _

_Shooting him a dirty look, Danny replied, "Please, you wanted to be my friend, but I wasn't so keen on you." _

"_Guess I remember it differently," Martin quipped, sharing an amused look with Eli before continuing his search for a paperclip. He pulled open one of the desk drawers and was surprised to find not only a box of paperclips but also a small present. He carefully picked up the wrapped package and set it down on the desktop._

"_Where'd you get that?" Danny asked, eyeing the gift curiously. _

"_It was in my desk." He picked up the gift and read the attached__gift tag aloud. "To Martin. From S.S." He raised his head in confusion. "Who's S.S.?"_

_Leaning forward, Eli studied the package and smiled. "Hey, that's your Secret Santa gift." She met Martin's eyes and finished, "I guess whoever had drawn Gus decided to continue with you in Gus' absence." _

_Martin held the gift up, feeling that same excited tingle whenever he got an unexpected present. _

"_So are you going to stare at it all day or unwrap it?" Danny asked. _

"_Before you do, I should tell you that the day to day gifts are tiny," Eli explained. "According to the office rules, you spend less than two dollars on the daily gifts. We do a big gift during the office party on Christmas Eve, but it shouldn't exceed more than thirty dollars." _

_Grinning, he shook the present slowly and it made a jiggling noise as whatever it contained jostled around inside. "So I shouldn't expect a gold watch?" Martin joked before ripping off the red and green stripped wrapping paper to find a box of Junior Mints._

"_Cool," Danny commented extending his palm. "Can I have one?"_

_Frowning, he opened up the box and dropped a few of the treats into Danny's hand. He offered some to Eli, who nodded her head and accepted a few. Taking a couple of the chocolate covered mint candies for himself, Martin asked Eli, "Do you know who Gus' Secret Santa person was? Seems only right if I get gifts that I give them too."_

"_Oh don't worry about it," Eli commented, chewing on the mint. "Gus told me who it was before he left and I promised I'd take care of it."_

_Martin shook his head. "No, I want to do it. I'm sure you have your own Secret Santa person to worry about." He popped another mint into his mouth, savoring the melting candy on his tongue. "Who is it?"_

_Her lips twitched into a small smile. "It's Mina."_

_Furrowing his brow, he clarified, "She's the woman who isn't very social, right?" Eli nodded her head and popped another candy into her mouth. He took a deep breath remembering that his few encounters with the stiff, older woman weren't exactly filled with warmth and cheer. "Okay… so, help me out. What sorts of stuff does she like?" _

"_Cats," she answered, leaning back in her chair and consuming her last mint. "She loves cats and soap operas. Namely, 'General Hospital' – I think she's secretly in love with the character named Sonny."_

"_Does she like candy?" he asked, already worrying about what to get for a woman like Mina. _

"_She has a soft spot for anything Entenmann's," Eli replied, reaching over to pick up the loan application again. _

"_I can handle that," Martin said as he shook a few more mints out of the box. _

"_So, do I get to do Secret Santa, too?" Danny asked hopefully._

"_Um, well, see, we uh…" Eli stammered out, looking uneasily between Martin and Danny. Biting her lower lip, embarrassed, she confessed, "We already drew names for the bank employees and…" _

"_I don't get one," Danny guessed._

"_No, sorry," Eli apologized, looking really sincere. _

_Pouting, Danny complained, "How am I supposed to get them to like me if I can't even share in the fun stuff?"_

"_I'm sorry. You seem like a genuinely nice person," Eli offered, reaching over and gently patting Danny on the forearm. "But, well, you're an efficiency guy and that's all the people you are supposedly evaluating can see."_

"_Fine," Danny replied, reaching over and taking the box of Junior Mints from Martin's hands. Martin shot him a perturbed look but the smile on his face made it useless since he was well versed in Danny taking his food. As he shook a few more mints from the box, Danny declared, "Pacino's Serpico had to face obstacles and opposition, and I can do it, too." _

_There was a soft knock on the door and they all turned to find Sue, one of the bank tellers, hovering in the doorway. She was holding a piece of paper in her hand and glanced over at Eli as she said, "Sorry to interrupt but, I have a customer that wants to cash a Cashier's Check and the amount is over my limit." _

"_You're not interrupting," Eli replied, standing up and setting the loan application on his desk. "I was just helping Martin with the loan apps." She walked over to the doorway to meet up with Sue, pausing to look over at Martin she said, "I'll be right back."_

_After Eli left, Danny motioned to where Eli had been sitting and waggled his eyebrows at Martin. "Do I detect a little something happening here?"_

"_She's being nice and trying to make sure I don't screw up something for her bank," Martin flatly replied, grabbing one of the loan applications to start reviewing it. _

"_Come on, she's pretty hot," Danny said, eating a few more mints. Martin raised a questioning eyebrow in response to the comment so Danny smirked and explained, "Hey, I'm married, not dead." Redirecting his attention back to Martin he added, "She's cool, not to mention she's never been convicted of a felony." _

_Martin shot Danny a hard look, growing increasingly annoyed by all the stabs at Kim. "Is there a real reason you're here or is it just to annoy me – because for an __efficiency expert, you sure spend a lot of time sitting around and chatting."_

_Agreeing to let the subject drop for now, Danny replied, "Actually there is. I need to take a long lunch but I should be back by three." _

"_Why?" _

"_Elena has…" he trailed off, a guilty and perplexed look crossing his face. He worked his jaw a few times before finishing, "Elena has to go see the dentist and wanted me to go with her." _

"_Is everything alright?" _

"_Yeah, yeah," Danny replied sitting up and nodding his head with a little too much vigor. "She just doesn't like dentists… you know how they… use those metal picks to clean your teeth... and they make a weird sound…" _

_Martin stared at his Cuban friend and decided that he had just been told the lamest excuse ever because he didn't believe a single word that Danny was telling him. He idly wondered why Danny would lie and then remembered that technically Danny and Elena were still newlyweds so maybe they were arranging a little afternoon delight. And in that instant, he decided to let the subject drop because he was already starting to feel like he may now know way too much information about his friends._

"_Fine by me," Martin said as he straightened the sheath of papers to paperclip the last stack. "Did you already clear it with Jack?" _

"_Not yet, but I'll give him a heads up before I go," Danny said as he stood up. _

_Martin noticed that Danny was starting to take a few steps when he said, "Aren't you forgetting something?"_

_Turning to look at him, Danny asked, "What?"_

_Frowning, Martin held out his hand. "Can I have my Christmas present back?" _

"_Oh, yeah," Danny replied, stepping back to the desk. Grinning, he shook a few more of the candies into his palm before setting the box down on the desk. He tossed one into his mouth and started out the door, casually saying over his shoulder, "See you later, man." _

_As soon as Danny was gone, Martin picked up the Junior Mints and found the box was now empty. Shaking his head with a knowing smile, he tossed the box into the trashcan and got back to work on the loan documents._

~*~

Just thinking about the incident with the candy made Martin chuckle. Midway through his mock drum solo with Led Zepplin's "Ramblin' On," the traffic ahead of him thinned again and soon he was back on his way home.

Home.

Martin checked himself realizing that he had a warm feeling when he thought about going back to the house. He liked the idea of going home knowing that someone was there waiting for him, even if she was a convicted felon as Danny had so eloquently described her. Slowing to a stop at the intersection on Pierce Ave, he studied the platinum band on his ring finger. When he first put the ring on yesterday, it had felt strange and heavy but today it was so natural that he had almost forgotten it was a piece of costume and didn't really belong there. He had to admit that it felt so right on his hand and briefly wondered if that is part of the reason he was in such a good mood.

The thought sat and simmered in the back of his brain until it was a low hum in his ear as he turned into the driveway and clicked the garage door opener. After pulling the Lexus into the garage, he removed the key from the ignition and stepped into the house. He was halfway through the dining room when Kim approached, a warning look in her eyes and a pleasant smile on her lips.

His mouth started to open to ask her what was going on when he spotted the strangers sitting in the living room, eyeing him with optimistic curiosity. He stopped mid-stride and knew that their presence had nothing to do with the undercover operation when Kim quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

Suddenly he felt old feelings stirring inside him once again and he resented how the gesture felt equally right and wrong.

As she pulled back, she asked, "Hey honey, how was your day?"

Following her lead and reminding himself that here and now he wasn't Martin Fitzgerald, FBI agent, and she wasn't Kim Marcus, ex-bank robber and jury saboteur, but Martin and Kim Granger, happily married couple living in suburbia. He forced a smile onto his face and breathed, "It was…it was good."

Still smiling, Kim turned to face their guests and explained, "Sweetie, these are our new neighbors, Daphne and Curtis Crawford." He nodded and stepped forward towards where they sat as she delicately ran her hand along his arm and looked at the couple. "This is my husband, Martin Granger."

Doing his best to ignore that tingling sensation from being in such close proximity to Kim, he extended his hand and feigned cheerfulness. "Hello. Nice meeting you."

He dropped his hand from Curtis' hand as Kim asked, "Would anyone care for something to drink?" She stood up and thumbed in the direction of the kitchen. "I have coffee, tea…"

Mercifully, they declined and started to the door. Martin followed behind the boisterous woman who began blathering about her kids' behavior when Curtis suddenly slapped Martin on the back and said, "I try telling her that's just how boys play. Am I right?"

Chuckling, Martin agreed. "Yeah, I always thought my mom wanted us to play outside to get fresh air, but now I think she was just afraid we'd break stuff if we stayed indoors."

"Tell me about it," Curtis commented. Walking alongside Martin as they headed to the front door, he asked, "You golf?"

This time Martin's cheer wasn't feigned since this was one area of his real life that he was very proud of. "Seven handicap."

"Welcome to the neighborhood!" Curtis declared before offering to pair up with him once spring arrived. Martin agreed knowing full well that he would be long gone from this man's life before the New Year.

He reached the front door first and pulled it open to let the couple pass when Kim appeared at his side. Instinctually, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder – a gesture he immediately regretted when she moved in so close to him that he could smell her skin and hair.

He listened as Kim thanked the Crawford's for stopping by and Daphne invited them to the Christmas party on the following night. He glanced at Kim who was eyeing him wonderingly and found himself replying, "Well, then we'll be sure to be there, too."

Extremely pleased with Martin's answer, Daphne and Curtis bid them adieu one final time and started down the path to the sidewalk.

Watching as the neighbors walked away, Martin stood there with Kim in his arms and wondered if he had never uncovered Kim's secret if they would have lived this life someday. He had to admit that Kim was the first woman since Sam that he had found himself completely at ease with, both physically and emotionally. A connection that didn't come easy in life and if it hadn't been for that damn gun, he may have continued to live in an oblivious state of blissfulness. Spending his days lounging around alongside Kim and their nights tangled up in each other's arms.

But then he remembered that even if he hadn't found out about Kim's past, she may have very well have fled from his life anyway. She may have just up and disappeared one morning to get lost in Scotland or India. Alone. Without him.

It was a strange relief to feel his anger and hurt at Kim's betrayal return. It certainly made him feel safer being around her than the ambiguous, warm feelings he had been having earlier. Anger was good. Anger would keep him from doing something foolish.

He loosened his arm around her shoulders and taking the hint, Kim quickly stepped free of his embrace and turned back into the house.

As he closed the door, behind him he heard her say, "They brought us a basket to welcome us to the neighborhood. How do you want to divvy it up?"

Sliding the lock into place, Martin steeled his nerves and turned around to face her. "I don't want any of it." His voice was level but even he was aware that there was a sharp edge to his words. "Do whatever you want with it."

He watched as Kim's expression fell, a hurt look crossing her face as she asked with a shaky and gentle voice, "Are you sure? You haven't even seen what's in it and there's some…"

"Like I said, it's yours," he icily said again, cutting her off, not willing to listen to any more of her words. She stared back at him, looking wounded, and he felt a sense of pleasure that he made her feel a little bit of the pain she had caused him over the last few months. But his satisfaction was short lived as the old sense of guilt returned, his inner moral compass telling him that being rude and unforgiving was wrong. Getting a sudden urge to flee, he gave her a final nod of dismissal before heading up the stairs. With his back to her, he added, "I'm going to take a shower."

He was already on the second floor landing and making a beeline to his bedroom when he heard her shout out something about dinner, but he was in his room, slamming the door shut behind him before she could finish whatever it was she had started to say.

Resting his back against the hard wood door, he felt his heart thundering in his chest. He stood there, warring with himself on how he reacted to this small interaction with Kim. This was their first real test of posing as a married couple and while in front of the neighbors it would seem they had passed with flying colors, in reality, he didn't know how much he could bear being so close to her. He was safer being chilly to her but it made him feel bad. However, he was also aware that it was dangerous to be nice to her as well.

He closed his eyes and tried to collect himself. He needed to remember that he was here to do a job – any emotional flashbacks to his time with Kim wouldn't help catch Jimmy Wright. He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose to try and steady his nerves but that turned out to be a mistake because there was still a phantom scent of her perfume on his hand that had touched her shoulder. He took a deep inhalation, realizing that he couldn't deny her presence even in this room.

He didn't understand how he hated someone so much and, yet, desired them at the exact same time.

Bowing his head, he wondered if Danny was right: maybe this really was the worst of ideas because he knew he couldn't spend every night hiding from her in his room. Particularly, since it was Friday and the entire weekend lay ahead of him. He silently cursed that they didn't start the undercover operation on a Monday when he would have had the distraction of working in the bank for a large portion of the day. Accepting that he was the one who put himself into this situation, despite the warnings of every single person involved, he knew that he needed to taper whatever feelings he was having towards Kim – be them anger or lust or whatever.

It was this thought that carried him downstairs forty minutes later, determined to interact with her in the most polite, professional way possible. If he could fake his feelings for her in front of the neighbors, he could damn well fake what he was feeling in front of her, too.

It was quiet as he stepped down the hallway towards the living room when he smelled Italian food coming from the dining room. He felt a pang of hunger deep in his belly as he realized that he was actually hungry.

He moved carefully into the room to find Kim sitting at one end of a dining table that was set for two. She was staring at a cooling pan of lasagna and a large bowl of salad, sipping a full glass of red wine and brooding.

He took a step into the room and in his most steady voice, asked, "Is there enough for one more?"

Not turning her head, her gaze cut to him. She motioned to the empty plate with her wine glass. "Help yourself."

He moved to the chair opposite of her and sat down. Reaching for the napkin, he shook it loose and dropped it onto his lap, eyeing the bottle of wine. He knew that Delmar and Jack were very clear that there wasn't going to be any alcohol in the house. Partly because it was an undercover operation and partly because they were worried it would impair Martin's judgment. He didn't complain since he had taken a break from alcohol after everything that had happened with Kim. He functioned fine during the day but it was remarkably tempting for him to lose himself in a bottle when he was alone at home late at night.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, jerking his chin to the wine.

"From the gift basket," she casually replied, polishing off her glass before reaching over to pick up the bottle. "You said you didn't care what was in it so I figured you wouldn't mind if I went ahead and opened it." As she poured another hefty glass, she reluctantly asked, "Want some?"

Working his tongue into his cheek, he shook his head. "No thanks."

Frowning, she finished pouring and set the bottle back down.

Taking a breath, he served himself a plate of room-temperature salad and lukewarm lasagna. Disinterestedly, he stabbed at the lilted lettuce with his fork; his appetite vanished. Deciding to ignore the giant elephant in the room, he cleared his throat and decided to break the ice. "I was thinking that we really should go to the Crawford's party tomorrow night."

After taking a sip of her wine, Kim nodded her head slowly. "Yeah?"

"The whole purpose of starting this as soon as possible was so we could hopefully draw Jimmy's attention," Martin carefully replied, eyeing the sad little salad before lowering his fork back down. "So we should probably make an appearance, be out and about with the other neighbors."

Taking a longer sip this time, Kim lowered her glass and said, "Okay, sure. Whatever you think is best," her lips spread into a tight smile as she finished, "dear."

Sighing heavily, Martin sat back in his chair and stared at Kim from across the table. "I think we should at least try and get along as long since we are stuck together."

She narrowed her eyes at him in mock surprise. "What do you mean? I think this seems like a very typical middle class marriage." She waved her hand around airily. "I drink, you ignore me…"

He found his chest tighten with anger. "Cut it out, Kim. If anyone has a right to be angry here, it's me."

Kim's face twisted tight in anger. "Is that why you volunteered for this assignment? So you can walk around and be mean to me? So you can make me feel even worse than I already do?"

"I'm honestly trying to help you here!" he shouted back even though he knew deep down, he had no real answer because the truth was that while part of him didn't want to be here, he couldn't bring himself to not be either.

"I would've been fine with dunder head Dunlop," she shouted back. With her brown eyes boring into his, she pointed at him with the hand not holding the wine glass and argued, "You volunteered because you wanted to!" She was fired up and looked ready for battle. "You're the one who starts everything and keeps acting like it all just fell on your shoulders, like some huge burden you have to carry. You were the one who showed up at my door that night. You were the one who covered up the gun incident – not me!"

Pent up rage boiled over and Martin hopped up from his chair, his chair wobbling behind him before falling over. "I was trying to protect you – to help you! I didn't know I was just the world's biggest idiot for believing a damn word you said."

"Okay, fine, I lied to keep from going to prison," she argued. "How in the hell was I supposed to know that I would ever see you again?"

"That's your excuse? It was okay to lie to me as an FBI agent but suddenly your conscience got the better of you after we started sleeping together?" He could hear the faint sound of his cell phone ringing upstairs.

She shook her head. "That's not what I meant – you're twisting my words."

He snorted. "Your words? How can I believe anything you say after all the lies upon lies you've told me? How in the hell can I know that anything you told me is real?"

Kim's bottom lip quivered and she lowered her eyes. "I never wanted to deceive you. I knew I was stupid for getting involved with Jimmy to begin with but I was ready to live my life on the run." She lifted her chin to look up at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Then you had to come into my life." She blinked and a few tears slipped down her cheek. She wiped them with her hand and said, "But you need to know, Martin, that I never thought I would meet someone like you. My life wasn't planned out like yours, I had to scrape by my entire life and I made some bad choices along the way and I am paying for them every day."

"Lots of people have had hard times but that's no excuse for the things you've done."

Pursing her lips, she wiped the tears from her cheeks as she stood up. She grabbed her glass and the half-empty bottle of wine. "Yeah, of course, you're absolutely right." She turned and started out of the dining room. "Just forget it."

"Where do you think you're going?" Martin shouted as suddenly the home phone line started ringing somewhere in the house. Deep in his anger-rattled mind, he guessed it was one of the agents watching them on the video cameras from the rental house. Ignoring the noise, he followed Kim into the hallway. "Yeah, just keep running away. That seems to be what you do best."

"I don't even know why I bothered…" Kim bitterly replied as she stepped down the hallway to the stairs, still clutching her glass and bottle. "You will only believe what you want."

"It's not about belief, it's what I know to be true," he barked back. "I have experience chasing after you, remember?"

Kim spun around and glared at him. "Fine, you want me to stop running, I'll stop. I'll stay right here." Locking her eyes with his, she said, "So say what you want to say – anything and everything – but you better damn well be willing to listen and let me say my peace, too."

He stopped and stared at her, realizing that he honestly didn't know if he was truly ready for this conversation. He had played all the scenarios in his head and he didn't know what he feared more: Kim admitting that she played him for a fool or that she actually did care about him. Because in the end, no matter what, he was still an FBI agent and she was still the con artist.

They stared at each other – a classic Mexican standoff when the ringing continued. Unable to ignore it any further – or maybe needing the interruption – Martin's eyes flew to the phone sitting on a table in the hallway.

Kim followed his eyes and laughed bitterly, "Forget it. Answer the phone," she turned and trudged towards the stairs, "we both know it's for you, anyway."

He stared at her back as she ascended the first few steps before walking up and picking up the cordless phone. "Yeah?"

"Everything okay?" Sam's concerned voice asked from the other end of the phone line.

"Yeah, it's fine," he replied as evenly as he could muster as his eyes darted to the poinsettia plant at the base of the staircase. He tried to suppress how uncomfortable and surreal it was to have the last woman who broke his heart watching him fighting with the latest woman to do the same thing. It was humiliating to say the least – Martin's lousy cycle of romantic relationships continued to go round and round for the entire bureau to see. He could feel his pulse increase as a familiar anxious feeling crept up on him. Needing to get out of this house, he added, "Listen, you know what, I'm going out for awhile."

Kim stopped and turned to look at him on the phone, a pensive expression on her face.

"Meeting?" Sam guessed.

Sometimes he hated that she still knew him so well. "Yeah."

"Okay," she softly replied. "We'll keep watch on the house while you're gone. Good night."

"Night," he said as he pressed the off button on the phone and set it back down on the table.

"Where are you going?" Kim asked, sounding as if she didn't really care where he was going but upset that he got to leave and she didn't.

He looked up at her watching him from the staircase. She was still clutching her wine glass in one hand while holding the bottle limply in the other. "I have to get to a meeting," he quickly replied, taking a few steps back towards the garage.

"You're in A.A.?" she asked.

He stopped in his tracks, wincing as he realized that in his rush to leave that he had said more than he had intended. Inhaling a deep breath, he turned around to face Kim. She narrowed her eyes at him, stunned, as if seeing him for the very first time. Martin stared up at her as his addiction crept out into the light of day, demanding recognition. He had convinced himself that he had never intended to keep his history with pain killer abuse from her exactly; he had just never found the right time to tell her. But now, he knew that the real reason was because he didn't want her looking at him like she did right now. It was a look born out of pity, sadness, shock, and a little disappointment.

And it was a look he never wanted to see in her eyes. He admitted to himself that he liked that to her, he was a heroic man who had protected and saved her life. He wanted to be the knight in shining armor she had teased him about being because that made her the damsel in distress he had rescued. And maybe there would be the possibility of the two of them living happily ever after. But if he admitted to her that his armor had a giant chink called Narcotics Addiction, it would ruin the illusion.

However, considering all that had come to pass between them, their story was not a classic fairytale romance…not in the least.

Meeting her eyes, Martin licked his lips and confessed, "N.A."

She nodded slowly, working her tongue into her cheek as she absorbed his words. She glanced over at the wall, not really seeing before shifting her attention back towards where he stood. "I guess I'm not the only one with secrets," she said at last before giving him a final look and continuing up the stairs.

Swallowing, Martin watched her disappear up to the second floor. In that minute he understood that while his lies weren't concealing felonies, he also wasn't exactly the beacon of truth he believed himself to be either.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: Anmodo, I'd be lost without you. Thanks so much!

Thanks to all of you who are reading this fic and a bigger thanks to those of you who take time to post a review. They are always such a treat to read.


	11. Tell me something good

Chapter 10

~*~*~*~

_Our dreams, and they are made out of real things  
Like a, shoebox of photographs  
With sepia tone loving  
Love is the answer,  
At least for most of the questions in my heart_

~ Better Together by Jack Johnson

~*~*~*~

The automated MTA voice announced that it was arriving at the next stop at Whitehall Street as the train lurched to a stop. Danny went rigid, gripping the metal trail bar tightly, doing his best to try and not slam into the teenager standing beside him. He checked his watch and cringed, thinking that each stop just made him later and later.

The subway doors slid open and people pushed their way out of the car, flooding their way onto the platform. After the initial rush of vacating passengers, a new wave of travelers boarded. There were far fewer boarding the car than the amount that got off so several seats opened up. Sensing an opportunity, Danny maneuvered his way to a hard plastic seat at the rear of the car and sat down just as the doors closed with a whooshing air sound.

When he was on call, he would take the bureau car home but he had the weekend off so that meant public transportation. However, considering it was a Friday night, he knew parking would be hard to come by in his neighborhood anyway so this mode was fastest.

As the train pulled out again, he glanced around, surveying the seasoned commuters ready with their books, newspapers, or iPods to first time travelers studying the MTA map posted above the doors indicating by color what line they were riding and what stops would be made along the way. A few rows down, he eyed a young woman with curly brown hair bouncing an anxious toddler on her lap, each with matching hair color. The little boy was holding a small book with an image of a puppy on the cover. He would study each page with wide, curious eyes and occasionally laugh and point something out to his mother, who would grin and whisper something in his tiny ear.

Danny felt his heart swell just thinking about doing something like that with his own child. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out the ultrasound picture for the umpteenth time that day. It was reassuring for him to have this tangible evidence. Everyday Elena would tell him about the changes she could feel inside of her but so far all he could do was take her word for it and study the slow changes to her body. But now, staring at the black and white image with a bundle of emotions lodged in his throat, he could see with his own eyes that this wasn't a dream. He grinned, thinking that it almost looked like baby Taylor was floating inside a jellybean-shaped space. The image was much clearer than he'd anticipated and he could see remarkable details of this being who hadn't even entered the world yet. He could see the profile of the baby's face complete with a small button nose; an arm raised up near where the mouth would be; and a leg that kicked slowly around inside of Elena's belly. Elena had joked that it looked like their child was going to have his or her father's restless spirit. Danny noted that the baby's belly curved up just like Elena's and was promptly rewarded with a playful slap on the arm. Chuckling, Elena told him that since this was her second pregnancy, her body remembered this change and metamorphosed quicker than when she was pregnant with Sofie so she was growing bigger faster. Danny quickly kissed her temple and reminded her that she had never looked more beautiful to him.

The technician had tried to find the heartbeat but the baby was turned away and they couldn't hear it. The technician assured them that it didn't mean anything, getting to hear the heartbeat at three months wasn't always easy. The important thing was that they could see on the screen that the heart was steadily beating and looking strong. Danny was disappointed but Elena consoled him by saying that the same thing happened when she was pregnant with Sofie. She told him to have a little patience, he will be able to hear it soon enough.

Tracing the outline of the image with the tip of his finger, he beamed with pride and wondered whom the child was going to resemble: him or Elena. Or maybe their child would be a perfect blending of them both. Although, he had to admit – if only to himself – that if they had a boy, he hoped his son would look more like him. He knew that he was often in awe of how much Sofie resembled Elena. They both had the same wide brown eyes, heart shaped mouth, long shiny brown hair, and olive skin. He envied Elena seeing so much of herself reflected in her daughter's eyes and wished to someday be able to experience that feeling himself.

After the appointment, he had returned to the bank and it took every ounce of Danny's will power to not pull the black and white image from his pocket and show it to anyone and everyone and proudly declaring that he was going to be a father. Ironically, maybe it was the fact that the other employees continued giving him the cold shoulder that helped him contain himself...

~*~

_Danny strolled behind the commercial teller area, idly observing Mina counting a deposit from a local Papaya King. He glanced around, scanning the other employees and few customers in line to see if anything stood out or seemed strange. Deciding it was just another ordinary moment in the bank, he returned his attention to his notebook. All afternoon he pretended to take notes on the goings on in the bank like any efficiency expert would while performing an evaluation. But if anyone were to read what he wrote down they would see his doodles and a list of possible baby names. If they had a son, he toyed with the idea of egging Elena on by saying he wanted to name him Ramon. _

_A few teller stalls down, he heard some murmured conversation between Ian and Sue. When he looked over, they each lowered their heads and pretended to be busy working. It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess that they were talking about him. All morning long he heard snippets of conversation about his presence. Under their breaths he heard them say things like: "First we get a new bank manager and he brings in an efficiency expert who he's all buddy-buddy with… he's here to lay people off" or "I'm going to look for a new job" to "that guy cannot be trusted." _

_He hated being treated like the enemy but thankfully, he had a small picture in his pocket reassuring him that being disliked by people he didn't know was irrelevant when he was loved and loved by those who really mattered._

_Suddenly, the sound of laughter drifted from the far two cages where Amber and Roberta were chatting with Gabe, one of the loan officers. Amber had long blonde hair and dressed just nice enough to be considered professional but still looked like she hoped to maintain her youthful style by accessorizing with lots of jewelry. Roberta had dark brown hair that hung just below her chin line and judging by the buttons on her blouse straining to hold together, recently had a significant weight gain but was still in denial about it. As for Gabe, he stood on the other side of the teller cage like a customer and looked like he'd just stepped out of a page from GQ magazine from his perfectly styled brown hair to his Italian loafers. _

_Sensing an opportunity to ingratiate himself to the other employees – after all, it wouldn't hurt to at least try and get them to like him – he moved towards where they were chatting mirthfully. He planted his patented Danny smirk on his face when he realized that as he neared, the laughter started to fade. By the time he reached them, they were totally quiet. _

"_Hey," he greeted, smiling broadly at the three members of the bank staff. "What's up?" _

_Suddenly the nearby phone rang and Amber hustled to answer it while Roberta began furiously processing her Ins and Outs. _

"_Roberta is getting me a cashiers check for one of my customer's loan," Gabe instantly replied, his tone cool, crisp and professional before refocusing his gaze intently on Roberta, efficiently cutting Danny off from further inquiry._

_Sighing, Danny gave them a tight smile and nodded. "Cool." Deciding to try a different approach, he lingered behind Roberta's station and said, "So, I hear you're really into movies. Me, too." The woman glanced in his general direction and hummed her reply. He hated feeling like he was the new kid back in junior high trying to make friends at a new school. Swallowing, he jokingly continued, "Have you ever seen 'Serpico'?"_

_With her gaze still fixed on her monitor, Roberta nodded. "Yup. Can't say I cared for it."_

_Taken aback and more than a little offended, Danny stammered, "Really? Why not?"_

"_No offense, but I don't care for films about people who snitch about people at work," she flatly replied with a dry and brittle voice as Danny just stared at her in disbelief. Giving him a tense but polite smile, Roberta looked past Danny and waved at someone. "Eli, I need your signature."_

_Danny just stood there staring dumbly at Roberta, unsure if he was offended at possibly just being called a snitch or her talking badly about one of his favorite Pacino films. _

"_What do we have?" Eli asked as she neared. _

_Holding up the check, Roberta explained, "This is for Gabe's customer. It's for twenty-three thousand."_

_Carefully stepping around Danny, Eli patted his shoulder reassuringly before taking the checking. Reading it over, she looked up at Gabe and asked, "Which customer is this?"_

"_Paul Cellotta." Jerking his chin to a small, stocky man seated at his desk, Gabe explained, "He's the one who's buying the RV so he can drive the family to Kansas for the holiday." Waving at the gentleman, under his breath, he haughtily added, "Can you think of anything worse?" _

"_I think that sounds sweet," Eli argued, smiling wistfully at the customer. "The whole family packed together for the holiday."_

"_Me too," Danny agreed, already wondering what sorts of road trips he could take his family on. _

_Gabe shot her a pitying look and continued, "Anyway, he's taking his loan in the form of a check so the money goes directly to the seller."_

"_Okay," Eli replied with a nod as she started to sign the check when they all heard the unmistakable sound of crying. They all shifted their attention towards where Amber stood with the phone clutched tightly in her well-manicured hands, tears beginning to stream down her face. _

_Danny's eyes flicked over to Eli, sharing a concerned look, before he refocused on Amber whose face was now hot with tears, trembling lips and a runny nose. Whoever she was talking to, she was clearly upset by the conversation._

"_But… how can you do this to me?" Amber asked, lowering her chin and wiping tears from her face. "But I can do better… I can change that…" _

_Sensing this had to do with a relationship, Danny looked over to see Eli, Roberta and Gabe share a look of exasperation when suddenly Amber slammed the phone back onto the receiver and announced, "Excuse me," her breath hitched, "I have to…" and she gasped between the rest of the sentence, "go… to… the… ladies room."_

_They watched as she made a mad dash to the employee restrooms. _

_As soon as she was out of earshot, Gabe grumbled, "Great, now we have to listen to another month of break-up drama."_

_Danny wanted to chastise Gabe for his callous remark but pursed his lips, knowing that he should keep quiet about a situation in which he had very little knowledge of the history. _

_Sighing heavily, Roberta nodded in agreement. "It's annoying how upset she gets. She hasn't even been dating him that long."_

_Quickly finishing signing the check, Eli handed it to Roberta and sagely advised, "You know, relationships are like CDs: the value isn't determined so much by the length of time but the amount of the investment."_

_Chuckling, Gabe quipped. "Ah, another pearl of wisdom from the banker's hand book of love." Eli started walking after Amber but paused long enough to shoot him a dirty look that wasn't offensive -- between two long time friends. Chuckling, Gabe stuck his tongue out at her and she just shook her head and laughed as she continued after Amber. Shifting his attention to Danny, Gabe explained, "Eli loves using banking terminology when dishing out advice. When my ex-boyfriend cheated on me, she said, 'If your man is making deposits at another bank, you need to close his account.'"_

_Jotting something down in the computer, Roberta tore the check's carbon copy free and put it in her drawer before handing the actual check to Gabe. "She once told me something like, my husband is like a good piece of stock: he just increases in value the longer I hold onto him." _

_Taking the check and glancing over it to ensure all the information was accurate, Gabe said, "That's one of the things I adore about Eli: she's corny in the most endearing way." Looking up, he smiled and said, "Thanks, Berta." _

_Gabe turned to walk back to his desk, pausing only to give Danny a scrutinizing look, before continuing on his way. Danny briefly wondered if he was just sized up and what exact measurement was he just given. _

"_Can I do anything for you, Mr. Serpico?" Berta asked, her curt voice dragging Danny back to reality. _

_Aware that the air was suddenly growing chilly again, Danny shook his head and decided to go bother Martin for awhile. _

~*~

The train slowed again and the automated voice announced that the next stop was Danny's: Union Street.

Tucking the ultrasound photo back into his pocket, he stood up and began pushing his way through the crowd of passengers ambling to the doors. Danny deboarded the train and walked down the corridor towards the exit, passing a local street musician strumming his guitar. He pulled some coins from his pocket and tossed them into the open case before continuing on. He didn't mind supporting anyone willing to earn a living by performing in a hallway where the air was thick with smells that could only be found in a subway station: a combination of train fumes, urine, and body odor. Quickly hurrying down the dingy tiled area, he stepped through the turnstile, and took the steps to the street above two at a time. As soon as he hit the busy street, he was immediately greeted with the sounds of car horns, people talking and other sounds that were uniquely New York.

He turned onto 5th Avenue and made his way to the Blue Ribbon Brasserie.

Breaking from the routine of Friday night pizza and a movie, he and Elena decided to take Sofie to her favorite restaurant to tell her about the pregnancy. Elena had been so happy that Sofie had grown past the age of only eating at restaurants that offered toy prizes with their meals and could enjoy a nice meal in a nice restaurant. With a small smile creeping on his face, Danny realized that this reprieve wouldn't last for long since they would soon have to satiate the needs of a toddler's tastes.

Reaching the restaurant, Danny walked past the line of patrons waiting to be seated and sought out his wife and stepdaughter. Blue Ribbon was a dimly lit restaurant that had a long bar near the entrance and was crowded with people out to enjoy the kick off to their weekend. The décor of the rest of the restaurant was wood: from the hardwood floors to the wooden tables and chairs all the way to the teak crown molding that framed the ceiling. Despite the fact that it made Danny wonder if the owner got kickbacks from the lumber industry, it managed to look hip and edgy rather than an aged log cabin.

In the center of the restaurant, Danny spotted his two favorite brunettes chatting together, each with bright wide smiles on their faces. As he neared, he spotted the hummus appetizer on the table indicating that they had been waiting for a little while.

Sofie spotted him first so he raised his index finger to his lips for her to remain quiet as he carefully and quietly stepped behind Elena. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered, "Hey pretty lady, is this seat taken?"

Keeping her gaze straight ahead but tilting her head closer, she softly replied, "I was waiting for my husband but since he's running late…" Grinning, she turned to face him. "I guess you can join us."

Bridging the distance, Elena planted a kiss on him. Pulling back with a smile on his face, Danny sat down. "Sorry, not really working is harder than actually working. I couldn't leave until everyone was balanced but Ian was forty dollars off so Eli had to do an audit…" He waved his hand around and said, "Forget it. It just took a long time."

Elena shook her head and laughed. "We ordered some hummus while we waited." She pushed the bowl towards him and returned her attention to her menu. "I'm starving."

Danny dipped a pita slice into the hummus and chewed it happily when a waiter appeared and took his drink order before asking if they were ready to order dinner. Sofie ordered her favorite dish, fried chicken, and to Danny's surprise, Elena ordered the hanger steak – medium well.

"Meat? You're ordering meat?" he asked, incredulous. "Red meat?"

Shutting her menu and handing it back to the waiter, Elena shrugged. "I'm having a craving."

He smiled at her and remembered that the OBGYN had told her earlier that if she was having a craving to not ignore it. Pregnancy is the one time that indulging is completely allowed – within reason, of course. They also got the lecture about avoiding raw fish, soft cheese, deli meat, alcohol, and caffeine. Deciding to embrace Elena's newfound food freedom, he closed his menu and ordered the same.

As soon as the waiter was gone, Sofie shoved her hands under her thighs as if trying to contain her excitement as she anxiously asked, "So can you tell me now?"

"Tell you what?" Danny replied, enjoying drawing out the suspense. "What makes you think we're going to tell you something?"

"C'mon Danny!" she insisted with a wide smile.

"She thinks there's a reason we came here for dinner tonight," Elena explained, taking a sip of her water.

Raising an eyebrow, Danny playfully mocked, "Really, why?"

Sofie leaned forward and argued, "Because the last time we came here you asked me if you could marry my mom so I know you only bring me here to tell me something good."

"Really?" he asked, an amused smile on his face.

"YES!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing out of her seat. "So tell me!"

Looking over at Elena, Danny quietly said, "I think you should do it."

Nodding, Elena reached over and lovingly took both of her daughter's hands in hers. "Sofie, mi mamita," she began, looking directly into her daughter's big brown eyes, "You know I love you so much, right?"

The young girl nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"And nothing will ever change that," she continued, shaking her head.

Again, Sofie gave a slow, wary nod. "What's going on?"

Elena glowed. "We're having a baby. You're going to be a big sister."

"A baby?" Sofie asked, stunned. "Really?"

An awkward silence loomed as they waited for a reply when a slow grin spread over Sofie's face and she exclaimed, "Wow! I'm gonna have a baby brother or sister!"

Jumping off her chair, she stood next to her mom and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. As soon as she was done, she moved around and leapt into Danny's arms.

When Sofie pulled back, she kissed Danny on the cheek and said, "This is awesome!"

Grinning, Danny reached into his coat pocket and said, "You wanna see something really awesome?" He held up the ultrasound picture for Sofie to see. "Meet your baby brother or sister."

Grabbing the image with both hands, Sofie stared at the image. "The baby looks weird."

"Hey, that's your brother or sister you're talking about," Danny playfully chastised.

Realizing that seemed the wrong thing to say, she instantly added, "But still cute!"

Laughing softly, Danny took the picture back from Sofie and tucked it back into his pocket as she returned to her seat.

Ducking a pita chip into the hummus, Sofie giggled and declared, "I can't wait." She took a bite and paused mid-chew to add, "And don't worry. I'm going to help out so much."

The waiter returned and set Danny's club soda with lime on the table. Reaching over, Danny squeezed some lime-juice into the glass and asked, "Really?"

"Yes," Sofie assured him. "I'll baby-sit, play with the baby, and help her get dressed."

"What if we have a boy?" he asked, stirring his drink.

She pondered that for a beat and shrugged. "Hm, I guess that's okay, too. I'll still help."

Smiling, Elena squinted her eyes at the girl and challenged, "Does that mean you'll change poopy diapers"

Sofie twisted up her nose, as if already smelling the stinky diaper. "Oh, um, how about I help by telling you when the baby needs to be changed?"

Danny shook his head and laughed as they enjoyed a leisurely dinner. They talked about where the baby would sleep, Elena claiming that for the first few months they could put the baby in a bureau drawer and be happy. Then they started listing off names they liked and didn't like. Feeling in a happy mood, they decided to order three different desserts and share. After some debate, they decided on the crème brulee, chocolate bruno, and banana split.

As the waiter wandered off to retrieve their desserts, Sofie and Elena started talking about going shopping for baby clothes when Danny's cell phone rang in his pocket. Fishing it out, he glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Samantha. He knew she was doing surveillance tonight so he excused himself from the table and walked to the back of the restaurant where the restrooms were located and it was quieter.

He pressed talk. "Hey, Sam, what's up?"

"I know it's your night off but I just wanted to give you a heads up on something," she replied, her tone sounding gentle but concerned. "Martin and Kim had a pretty ugly fight."

"How ugly?"

"He left to get to a meeting."

"Gotcha." Danny rubbed the back of his neck and looked over to see Elena laughing at something Sofie was saying. He really didn't want to deal with this drama right now. He wanted to enjoy this moment. But he also knew that sometimes being a good friend meant sacrifices. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Sure. Night."

He clicked the phone off and stared at it for a beat, trying to decide if he should call Martin now or later. If he did it now, it might become a drawn out conversation and he'd miss having dessert with Elena and Sofie. If he did it later, he might spend the rest of his evening with the girls thinking about Martin's state of mind and not really enjoy himself.

He was still debating when his cell phone rang again and the screen lit up: M. Fitzgerald.

Looks like the decision was now out of his hands.

"Serpico," he answered. He heard a faint chuckle on the other end of the line. This was a good sign. With forced cheer, he asked, "What's up?"

The line went quiet for a beat but Danny could make out the sounds of traffic indicating that Martin was probably driving.

"Sam called you already," Martin guessed.

Not pretending otherwise, Danny decided to just get to the heart of the matter. "How are you doing?"

"Strong enough to know to get to a meeting but upset enough to not want to go home afterwards," he replied, releasing an audible sigh. "But we both know that's not an option."

With his eyes watching the waiter deposit the desserts on the table, Danny offered, "Why don't you come meet up with us at Blue Ribbon?"

"No, I know Friday is your family night," Martin quickly declined. "I'll be fine. Vent at a meeting and maybe drive around until I cool off. It'll be okay." Danny gnawed on his lip, conflicted. He wasn't sure if he needed to talk to Martin awhile longer but he also really wanted to get back to the celebration with his family. As if sensing Danny's conundrum, Martin added, "Get back to Elena. I'm good. I knew Sam was gonna call you so I figured I'd beat you to the punch."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, man," Martin replied, sounding calmer by the minute. "I'll talk to you on Monday."

"Alright, I'll check in with you at casa Granger tomorrow," Danny said, briefly wondering if he should share his happy news with his best friend. But then he thought better of it; not wanting to flaunt his own joy while Martin was struggling. "Later."

He started to hang up when he heard, "Hey, Danny."

"Yeah?"

Clearing his throat, Martin quickly breathed, "Thanks for not saying, 'I told you so.'"

Grinning, Danny replied, "All that matters is that you know it."

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A/N: Have I gushed enough about Anmodo? Cuz she's totally awesome and I want you all to know how incredibly generous she is with her advice and encouragement. Plus, she's a terrific sounding board. Like I said, AWESOME.

Thanks to all you who are reading and bigger thanks to those of you who review. Thank you so very much!


	12. Hell of her own design

Chapter 11

~*~*~*~

_Red lights, grey morning  
You stumble out of a hole in the ground  
A vampire or a victim  
It depends on who's around_

~ Stay (Faraway, So Close) by U2

~*~*~*~

The moment Kim's eyelids fluttered open, she instantly regretted it. The morning light assaulted her vision, sending white sharp pain behind her eyeballs and directly to her brain. Squinting, she spotted the cause resting on the nightstand: an empty wine bottle. Groaning, she clenched her eyes shut and pulled the pillow around her head squeezing it tight, hoping the pressure and darkness would ease the throbbing headache of a hangover away.

Despite her tiny frame, she generally held her liquor very well – able to drink most men twice her size under the table. But after a few months at Danbury Women's Prison, her tolerance dropped dramatically. While she was incarcerated, the only liquor available came with a price she wasn't willing to pay – no matter how much Patty tried to tempt her with offers of peach Schnapps.

Licking her lips, Kim was also reminded that hangovers were usually accompanied by fuzzy tongue. Tasting something foul in her mouth, she pulled the pillow off her head and sat up – another move she regretted. The world around her was off kilter. Once she was able to steady herself, she shrugged free of the sheets and blankets and made her way to the bathroom on shaky legs.

Stepping into the bathroom, she ran a hand through her hair, pushing it away from her face. She moved in front of the sink and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, wincing at her peaked skin and puffy pink eyes. Both evidence of a late night drowning her sorrows in wine. Quickly looking away, she grabbed a hair tie and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail before washing her face and brushing her teeth. When she was done, she grabbed the water bottle she had left on the counter from her workout the day before and filled it up with cold water. After taking a long drink, she re-filled it and headed back into the bedroom.

Feeling slightly more human, she padded her way to the window and pulled the curtains open to find a light scattering of snow dusting the backyard. Snow was still falling softly and slowly, small, light snowflakes dropping down from the sky. Kim scanned the backyard, a false sense of contentment filling her chest when her eyes landed on the house behind them. She saw a curtain drawn back before dropping closed. She was tempted to wave at whatever agent was observing but decided against it. Stepping back, she turned and crawled back into bed, cradling the water bottle close to her for easy access.

She sunk back into the mattress and through the slit of the curtains watched the snow falling steadily outside. She unscrewed the cap and took another long drink of water; already feeling the re-hydration was helping ebb the headache away. She knew a pain reliever would help her even more, but her friendly FBI agents in charged of moving her in didn't think to stock the medicine cabinet. If she really was desperate, she could ask Martin, but after the fight they'd had she'd just as soon suffer through the pain. [Thanks! Great line and good catch.]

Shifting under the covers, she relished the quiet of the house. She had probably missed this most of all. When she was in prison, every moment of her time was structured and planned, monitored by the guards and her cellmates. She missed being able to just relax somewhere comfortable and familiar, completely alone. Someplace like home.

Sinking deeper into the bed, she rolled onto her side and found herself staring out the window to the falling snow. When she had been approached by FBI to help with the sting, she didn't want to cross Jimmy – she wasn't lying when she told Martin that he scared her – but she hadn't wanted to stay in prison either. Prison was scarier. Her entire life engulfed into a routine that controlled all parts of her life. She knew that she had been lucky to serve in a federal prison versus a state penitentiary, but prison was still prison.

So, when she was offered a way out, a way to reclaim her life, she grabbed it with both hands. She'd agreed to their terms and would do whatever it took to secure her freedom. Of course, at the time, Delmar had assured her that Martin wouldn't be involved in the case.

And yet, here he was pretending to be her husband.

It was so hard for her to see him, so close and yet so incredibly far. It tore at her to see him looking at her so coldly. Not that she could blame him. She knew that this was a hell of her own design and the blame lay squarely on her own shoulders. She wished she were able to talk to him, to get him to understand, to forgive. But he built up walls all around him, sealing her off. She couldn't help but laugh bitterly as she realized that working this assignment was just trading one form of prison for another.

As if on cue, she heard a door slowly creak open and her entire body went rigid with tension. She listened at the soft pratfall of footsteps walking down the hall before growing quieter as they disappeared down the stairs. She knew that he was trying to be really quiet. She didn't think it was so much that he was being nice so she could sleep in but rather, he didn't want to wake her so he could avoid her.

Her ears tried harder to seek out any noise he did make to try and guess what he was doing. Of course, as a result, the silence had been so oppressing that whenever he did make some noise, it rang out shattering the quiet. Which each sound, the more obvious it was that he was trying to not be noticed and the easier it became to guess what he was doing. With each opening of a cabinet door, clinking of a glass, clatter of plates, or opening or closing of a door it became easier for her to imagine him moving around the kitchen, making coffee and looking for something to eat. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered how Martin looked in the early morning, his hair all curly and matted and his big blue eyes sparking towards wakefulness.

The phone rang downstairs and Martin quickly answered after one ring. She could hear Martin's murmuring voice but wasn't able to decipher what was being said.

Suddenly she heard footsteps heading quickly up the stairs and down the hall, stopping just outside her door. Her throat went dry and her stomach lurched as she waited with bated breath to hear what happened next when there was a soft rapping on her door.

"Kim?" Martin's voice quietly asked.

Unable to get out of bed to open the door and face him, she simply turned her head in the general direction of the door and answered, "Yeah?" She hated how shaky and raspy her voice sounded. "What is it?"

He was quiet a beat before replying, "I have to go…" he paused and finished, "run some errands. I'll be back in a few hours."

Closing her eyes to the fact that once again Martin was doing whatever he could to flee from being alone in the house with her, she said, "Okay."

Martin didn't reply, but she knew that he was still standing outside her door. She scooted up further in the bed, glancing at the closed door when she heard Martin's voice announce, "I'll see you later."

She swallowed and started to reply when she heard his footsteps hurrying down the steps, eventually followed by the sound of the garage door opening and closing and the car driving away.

Kim sighed heavily and rolled back over.

She lay there awhile before deciding take advantage of favorite luxury she'd missed while in prison – being able to take a long, hot bath.

She took another drink of water as she walked into the bathroom. Taking a seat on the edge of the Jacuzzi tub, she reached over and turned the lever handles on the water faucet. As water poured out, she took another drink of water and waited until the tub was filled half-way before stripping off her clothes and sliding inside.

The hot water took some adjustment at first but within seconds her body settled against the heat and she soon found the steam billowing around soothing. She sunk into the deep tub and closed her eyes, savoring the relaxation. The water continued to fill up around her and as soon as she was covered to her shoulders she opened her eyes and using her foot, toed the levers to a closed position.

Rolling the arch of her foot on the faucet, she studied her red toenails as an all too recent memory washed over her…

~*~

_Kim adjusted the pillow behind her head, propping her up. Pulling the sheet up so it covered her chest, she smiled over at Martin and said, "Mmm… that feels amazing."_

_Leaning against the headboard opposite of her, his lower half tangled up in the sheets, he smiled back. He was holding one of Kim's feet in his hands as he gently massaged it. "I aim to please." _

_Relaxing into the bed, she practically purred with contentment as he worked his agile digits into the pad of her foot. "Where did you learn to do this?"_

"_My aunt," he softly replied, his gaze lowered and fixed on what he was doing._

"_Is she a massage therapist?" she asked, rubbing her now free foot along Martin's bare thigh. _

"_A nurse," he replied with a slow shake of his head as he lowered her foot and switched to the other one. "But she firmly believed in holistic healing as well; always advocating eating right, exercise, etc. She thought that mental health was key to physical health, and doing simple preventative things like getting a massage was helpful."_

_She put her clasped hands behind her head and grinned. "Well, I'm going to have to send her a thank you card."_

_Not looking up, he softly said, "She, uh, she died a few years ago."_

_Instantly sobered by this confession, her face went soft as she said, "I'm sorry."_

_He glanced up at her and shrugged. Still concentrating on her feet, he took a deep breath and said, "But I still remember all she taught me. For example," he pressed his thumbs into the center of her foot, "this is the pressure point for your liver." His thumbs drifted to the right, "and this is for your stomach. I figure with the way you eat…" _

_She giggled. "So says the man who eats twice as much as I do." He laughed and moved his focus to massage the middle of her foot. Enjoying the feeling of his hands on her feet, she asked, "And what's that spot for?"_

_His gaze drifted upward. "Your heart." _

_Seeing him look at her that way made her breath catch and they shared a long lingering look. As exhilarating as it felt to see his blue eyes watching her so hopefully, it was instantly extinguished by a rush of fear that the person he was hopeful about was built on an illusion – one carefully crafted by her own lies. _

_So swallowing her fears, she planted a smile on her face and wiggled her toes. "What else?" _

_Clearing his throat and taking her not so subtle cue to return to the levity from earlier, he moved his fingers up a bit and said, "Um, this is for your spleen, pancreas, lung, and…" he increased the pressure as he moved his fingertips in a circular motion, "your breast."_

"_Oooo…" she purred before releasing a soft laugh. _

_Moving his way up her foot, he began massaging the area just below her toes. "This is for your neck and shoulder." Travelling further upward he massaged her big toe and said, "Now, this one is for your brain," he pressed his thumb against the soft skin and amended, "or maybe your eyes? I forget."_

_She grinned. _

_He returned his attention to her arch, a studious look on his face. "I think there's supposed to be an area for arousal but," he smiled lamely, "I can't remember where..."_

_She laughed. "I think the fact that you're doing this is enough to get me aroused." Winking, she gave him a coy smile. "Besides, my spleen and pancreas are getting hot for you..." He laughed and shook his head at her. "This feels so good I think I should return the favor." She reached over to touch his foot, running her index finger along the middle and Martin laughed nervously, abruptly pulling his foot away. _

"_No, that's alright."_

_She sat up, smirking like a devil as she accused, "You're ticklish."_

"_No, no, uh-uh," he stammered in protest, his foot inching further and further away from her reach. _

"_I think you are." Giggling, she tried to grab his foot. "Come on, laughter is the best medicine," she teased. "Gotta take care of your mental health!" She almost had him when he grabbed her calf, playfully tugging her towards him. "Stop it," she choked out between fits of laughter. "Ah!"_

_When she was within reach, he grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him. "Get over here," he insisted. Deciding to stop pretending to struggle, she shifted so she was lying on top of him, staring into his eyes. Sliding his hands up her thighs, he said, "Hey, you know, I can think of something else that is good for mental health…"_

_She moved her face closer, her lips brushing against his as she throatily replied, "Something tells me that," she kissed him softly, murmuring, "it has more to do with body than mind." _

_He laughed before leaning in and kissing her again. _

~*~

Kim felt tears welling in the corner of her eyes so she quickly dipped her entire body into the tub, hoping the bathwater would either wash them away or at the very least, mix with the tears so she could pretend they weren't really there. She held her breath as long as she could, the sound of her heart pumping in her ears. When her lungs started to burn, she emerged. She tilted her head back, slicking her hair away from her face as she inhaled a deep breath.

There was an ache deep her chest, guilt cinching it tighter and tighter around her heart. She wiped water and tears away from her face, trying to steady her breathing and her nerves. She wondered if she would ever have a day again where she wasn't overwhelmed with loss and regret and anger when she thought about Martin. The loss of being with possibly with the one guy in the world who had made her feel special, worthy, and cared about. Regret that she had met him a few years and a lot of bad decisions too late. And anger that not only did she let herself fall for him but that he was too committed to learning the truth and could not be fooled by her lies.

It was all just such a mess and the worst part is she had no one to blame but herself.

She didn't know how long she was there crying – again – over a situation of her own making but when the tears finally ebbed away she caught a glimpse of her hands. The pads of her fingers were pruney; a sure sign that she had spent too much time in the tub. Taking a deep breath, she decided to stop wallowing and get up and get back to doing what she has learned to do best – live a lie.

She stood up and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself and got out. As she dried off, she decided that she needed some coffee. After throwing on her favorite Saturday morning attire: socks, loose fit jeans and a navy blue sweater, she headed downstairs.

She entered the kitchen to find Martin unpacking some groceries while chatting on his cell phone. His back was to her and judging by his posture, he hadn't heard come inside. Caught off guard by his presence, she hovered in the doorway, uncertain about what to do.

"...can't believe you're still fixated on this," he said into his cell as he pulled out a carton of orange juice from the bag. "What do you care if they like you?" With his back still to her, he listened to the reply as he pulled open the refrigerator door and put it on the shelf. She smiled to herself, liking seeing him so relaxed – like he used to be around her. "That's a little far-fetched," he continued, using his foot to close the refrigerator, "because I can think of a few at the bureau who don't like you and you don't like them." He returned to the bag and paused, listening to whatever the person he was talking to was saying. He reached into the bag and pulled out a box of cookies. "Let's see, there's Clark Medina, Jason Farrell…" he started laughing as he turned to put the box into a nearby cabinet. "Hey, you were the one who wanted some examples…"

He froze when he spotted her standing in the doorway, their eyes locked as the room filled with tension.

"I just wanted some coffee," she explained as the smile on Martin's face disappeared. He nodded at her slowly so she lowered her head and walked to the cabinet to get a cup. Moving to the coffee maker, she stole a glance in his direction to see him return to the bag and his phone call.

"I'm sorry, I missed that, what did you say?" he said into his cell, the enthusiasm from earlier long gone. "No, it's nothing." Pause and then he glanced at her askance. "Mm-hmm."

Realizing that he was talking about her, she frowned and focused on pouring her coffee.

Behind her, she heard the bag rustle and Martin say, "Yeah, talk to you tomorrow." She heard a button click and the sound of his cell phone being placed on the tiled counter top.

She set the carafe back and reached for the sugar bowl, spooning sugar into the cup she remembered that there wasn't any creamer. She sighed and set the spoon aside, accepting that today she'd be drinking it black when Martin wordlessly set a small carton of half and half on the counter next to her.

Looking up at him, she quietly said, "Thanks."

He didn't say anything but just nodded slowly and returned to the task of unpacking the groceries. The next item he took out was a bottle of aspirin, setting it on the counter well within her view.

Smiling slightly at Martin's almost habitual thoughtfulness, she opened the carton and poured some into the coffee, stirring until it was the perfect shade of creamy brown. Picking up her cup, she took a drink, savoring the taste and pivoted around as Martin placed some cans and jars in the cabinet. Taking another sip, she watched as he went back to the bag and pulled out a bottle of wine, setting it down on the counter. Remembering Martin's words from the night before about not having liquor in the house, she stared at the bottle in disbelief.

"I thought you said…" she began, instantly regretting the accusatory tone in her voice as Martin turned to look at her. Biting her lip, she murmured, "Never mind."

Working his jaw, he jerked his chin in the direction of the wine and explained, "It's for tonight." He started folding the paper bag and put it in a lower cabinet. "I thought we should take something to the party." He stood up and turned to look at her, adding, "You know, like good neighbors would."

"Oh, good idea," she said, giving a small smile as she lifted the cup up to her lips. There was a long moment of awkward silence when she decided to try and apologize. "Listen…"

"About last night…" he said at the same time.

"Sorry." She offered him an apologetic look and gestured for him to speak first. "Go ahead."

"I just wanted to say that what happened last night," he began, fidgeting with his hands before shoving them into his pockets. "I meant what I said: we need to be able to be around each other and not let…" he motioned between them, "our history interfere with the job." She fixed her gaze on him, studying his face to see if he meant it. He ran his eyes over her face, waiting to see if she would voice a response but despite all the thoughts bouncing around in her skull, not one managed to find its way out of her mouth. When no reply was forthcoming, he continued, "Now, I know I was the one who volunteered to do this and swore that I wouldn't let my personal feelings interfere but last night…" He swallowed and she could see his Adam's apple bob. "I crossed that line, but I promise you I won't do it again."

Suddenly, the coffee taste lingering in her mouth went sour so she set the cup on the counter. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, absorbing his words while trying to find her own.

Exhaling, she looked up at him and quietly asked, "You can turn off all that emotion," she snapped her fingers, "just like that?"

Martin's jaw tensed before his expression went blank. "We both have to do it. This is work. Nothing that happened before matters; the only thing we should be concentrating on is catching Jimmy."

Wrapping her arms around herself, she carefully asked, "What if I still think there's a lot to say?"

"Then I have to insist that you keep it to yourself," he evenly replied, turning his head to look out the kitchen window. Following his gaze, she saw a neighbor walking past the house. A man bundled up in a parka waved at them with one hand while the other clung to a leash tethered to an excited Labrador. Martin waved back and quietly said, "We're only here to do a job and that's it. Nothing else matters."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and doubted it was going to be as easy as that because at this very moment, she decided that if he was really determined to not see her after this was over, she was going to damn well make sure to make this time count. And by the time the job was done, Martin would know just how sorry she was about what had happened and exactly how she felt about him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: Gigantic round of thanks to Anmodo for her help and encouragement. Thank you!

And big thanks to those of you are reading! Thanks so much for having a little faith in me.


	13. Love of all things food

Chapter 12

~*~*~*~

_Maybe I am a crowded mind  
I watch your eyes glaze over  
Stared down at the floor  
You were amazing to me  
I was amazing to you  
But here we go again_

~ Love and Memories by O.A.R.

~*~*~*~

"…so she starts unzipping her wet suit and says to him, 'How long has it been since you've had some real fun?'" Phil said in his loud booming voice. He had thinning blonde hair, a ruddy face, and when he smiled his entire face seemed to expand. As the joke drew to a finish, his voice raised an octave with each word. "And the man replies, 'Wow! Don't tell me that you've got some golf clubs in there!' Ha!"

The group burst into laughter and Martin laughed along with them. With a grin on his face, he took a sip of his club soda and glanced around at the other men. Besides Phil, there was also Jerry – a local Orthodontist with glasses and light brown curly hair. And Mitch, who was bald with a bushy mustache that coupled together, looked like all his hair decided to migrate south. They looked just like anyone you would find in any suburban neighborhood. Average looks, average jobs and loved talking and telling jokes about sports. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was having a pretty good time.

"That's priceless," Curtis replied, doubled over and his face bright pink from laughter.

Taking another drink, Martin studied the Crawford's holiday decorations as the sound of Bing Crosby dreaming about a white Christmas played in the background. If he thought that the exterior was over done, it paled in comparison to the interior. Every nook and cranny of the house was covered with decorations of candy canes, ornaments, golden reindeers, red ribbon, pine cones, garland, wreaths, table runners with images of snow men and angels, Christmas cards, tinsel, and just about any other Christmas decoration Daphne Crawford could get her hands on. The house even smelled like Christmas – cinnamon, pine trees, and sugar.

After taking a sip of his rum spiked eggnog, Curtis gestured at Martin with the glass and said, "Okay, now stop me if you heard this one: Fred got home from his Sunday round of golf later than normal and very tired. His wife asks, 'Bad day at the course?' He nods his head sadly and replies, 'Everything was going fine but then Harry had a heart attack and died on the 10th tee.' The wife looks shocked and gasps, 'Oh, that's awful!' Fred nods and says, 'You're not kidding. For the whole back nine it was hit the ball, drag Harry, hit the ball, drag Harry...'"

The group of men released another roar of laughter.

"Well, I'm glad to see my husband isn't making you rethink your move to the neighborhood," Daphne announced as she joined the group carrying a tray loaded down with delicious looking appetizers.

"Not yet," Martin deadpanned, casting a furtive glance at Curtis. "But I'm reserving judgment until he starts in on the football and religion jokes."

Curtis grabbed a few stuff mushroom caps from the tray and said, "Hey, have you ever heard the one about the quarterback and the Pope?"

Shaking his head, Martin reached for a mushroom cap when Daphne moved the tray away.

"None for you," she apologetically said, shaking her head. All the men gave her a confused look when she quickly explained, "They have capers and your wife warned me that you were allergic."

"Oh, thanks," Martin replied, pulling his hand back, touched that Kim remembered this little factoid about him. The truth was he wasn't allergic to them but just heartedly disliked them and avoided them whenever possible. He found it was easier to say he was allergic than tell people he just didn't care for them. Nine times out of ten, people would try talking him into 'giving it another try' and just saying he was allergic to spare himself the bother.

"More for me then," Mitch cheerfully declared, snatching a few of the treats – along with Jerry and Phil.

"Don't worry, this is the only appetizer you have to worry about – the rest of the food is caper free," Daphne shared with a bright smile before working her way to another group of guests.

"I will say this, Curtis, you and Daph always put out a nice spread," Jerry said, popping a mushroom into his mouth. Pausing mid-chew, he grinned at Martin and said, "You're a lucky man having that pretty little wife of yours looking out for you."

The other men murmured their agreements and Martin couldn't help but notice that all of their eyes drifted over to where Kim was standing. She was chatting with a woman who looked like she had been enjoying the Crawford's appetizers for many, many years. The reindeer on her Christmas sweater looked like it had been flattened and spread out by a steamroller. Kim's long brown hair hung loose around her face and she was wearing a dark purple silk halter dress that hugged her curves beautifully. It took all his willpower to not gawk at her so it wasn't surprising that she caught the eye of some of the other husbands. She was an attractive woman but he also knew that she was smart, funny, and warm. Watching her, he knew that to anyone else she might seem genuinely interested in what the woman was saying, but she was actually bored out of her mind.

As if sensing their gazes on her, Kim looked over and all of the men quickly refocused their attention on their appetizers. Smiling, she gave Martin a small wave. Reflexively, his own hand waved back and soon their eyes were locked – sending a jolt of energy straight through to Martin's core.

Suddenly he felt a slap on the back, jarring him out of the moment.

"Okay, how about this one?" Jerry asked. Martin turned his attention to the man beside him in time to see that Jerry had a parsley leaf stuck between his teeth. "A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers…"

Suddenly Martin's cell phone shrilled. "Sorry," he apologized to Jerrry, fishing it out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw Jack's name flashing. He glanced up at the men and said, "Excuse me, I gotta take this." Stepping away from the group of men, he headed to the hallway where it looked a little quieter and answered, "Hey, what's up?"

"How's the party?" Jack's voice was like unsweetened tea.

Checking to make sure no one was nearby and could overhear, he replied, "It's just like any other neighborhood Christmas party in America: a lot of food, lame jokes and complaints about household chores." He glanced over his shoulder to see Kim watching him curiously. He quickly averted his eyes, not liking that her big brown eyes still had the ability to make his knees jiggle. "But I'm sure you didn't just call to ask for the recipe for the Crawford's special eggnog."

"We've been doing some more research on the previous bank jobs and learned that the last two managers each attended or hosted a party just before the robberies," Jack replied, his sandpaper voice sounding tired.

Scanning the party with his eyes and the cell still pressed again his ear, Martin asked, "So are you thinking Jimmy comes to the parties to try and blend in, maybe get some information from the bank on how the bank is run or something?"

"Maybe not Jimmy but someone from his crew," Jack replied. "Either way it's worth looking into. So I want you and Kim to chat the neighbors up and see if anything sparks."

Looking over at where Kim was now chatting with the woman from earlier, Daphne and a tall man with salt and pepper hair. She was nodding as Daphne spoke, taking a deep breath and tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. At that moment, Kim glanced over in his direction, her eyes sending a silent plea to come rescue her from the conversation she was forced to endure.

Offering her a lame smile, he told Jack, "We'll do our best."

After exchanging goodbyes, Martin hung up, pocketed his cell and walked over to where Kim was standing with the couple he hadn't yet met and Curtis and Daphne.

"…gotta keep my high end customers happy," the tall man with the graying hair said, chuckling as he took a sip of his wine.

Kim nodded slowly when she caught sight of Martin, a slow smile of relief crossing her face. "Hey, honey," she greeted him as he neared. "I was wondering where you wandered off to."

Martin stepped closer and casually wrapped his arm around her, rationalizing that's what married couples did. He felt Kim stiffen when he made contact but quickly relax, leaning into his embrace. "Sorry, it was my uncle Jack. He gave me another list of things to do before Christmas." He smiled at the others and elaborated, "Jack is always very specific about how things are handled for the holiday."

"Oh, okay," Kim replied, nodding her head knowingly. "Does he have anything for me to do, too?"

He shook his head. "No, tonight is strictly just about getting to know our neighbors."

Kim smiled, her brown eyes signaling that she understood the hint. Gesturing to the tall man, she introduced, "This is Christopher and Lorraine Bowen. They live in the house directly across the street from us." Waving her hand, she continued, "This is my husband, Martin."

Martin stretched out the arm that wasn't wrapped around Kim and greeted, "Nice to meet you, Chris."

Shaking his hand, he corrected, "Actually, my name is Christopher."

"Sorry, Christopher," Martin amended, dropping his hand and reaching out to shake Lorraines. He gave a tight smile and turned to look at Kim. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Actually, Kim was about to tell us the story of how you two lovebirds met," Daphne volunteered, looking as excited as a puppy with a new chew toy.

"Right," Kim said, snaking her arm around Martin's waist. She looked up at him and smiled. "Unless you want to tell it, of course."

He stared down at her and realized that in all his preparation in going undercover, he and Kim had never discussed their backstory. He was so focused on getting through the present and their own past, he never thought about how Martin and Kim Granger met. So he shook his head and replied, "No, you can do it. You tell it so much better than me."

"Aw, he's shy." Kim laughed and turned to face Daphne. "I met Martin the day he rescued me." She ran her hands up and down his back as she continued, "I was out hiking in the woods near my uncle's cabin and got turned around." He was trying his best to listen as her hand pressed into his back and her voice lowered an octave. "I just got totally confused and lost my way. Didn't know where I was, where I was headed, or how I got there. I've never been more afraid or felt more alone."

"Sounds positively terrifying," Daphne uttered, staring at Kim wide-eyed.

"It was," Kim replied before licking her lips as a nostalgic smile crossed her face. Taking a deep breath, she tilted her head up at Martin and continued, "And then this handsome, dashing man appeared out of nowhere. I don't think I've ever been happier to see anyone in my life." Still smiling she looked back at Daphne and finished, "He came to my aid, led me back to safety, and the rest as they say is history."

"Well, that's just about the most romantic thing I've ever heard," Lorraine breathlessly exclaimed. "You're very own Knight in Shining Armor!"

"That's my Martin," Kim agreed, pulling herself tighter to him.

He couldn't help but think that slipping into the role of husband was very easy for him tonight. He sensed that meaned something but he tucked it away, unwilling to dwell on it too much right now.

"Well, that's more than I can say for this one here," Daphne said, playfully slapping Curtis on the shoulder. "My car battery died once and he sent a tow truck instead of coming to help me himself."

"To be fair, I was in the middle of my Fantasy Football picks," Curtis evenly argued, looking over at Martin for some support. "Quite frankly, she's lucky I answered the phone."

Daphne shot her husband a withering look and he immediately responded by lowering his head, embarassed, before moving over to his wife and pulling her into a bear hug, planting an affectionate kiss on her temple. Daphne shook her head and smiled, signaling that all was forgiven.

As the other couples started sharing stories of how they met, Martin leaned in and whispered to Kim, "I need to talk to you in private."

She gave him a worried, questioningly look but nodded and quietly replied, "Okay." Straightening her shoulders, she looked at the other couples and said, "Excuse us, we're just going to get some thing to drink."

As the others nodded and continued on in their conversation, Martin and Kim slowly made their way through the crowd of party goers towards the kitchen. Pushing the door open, Martin stepped inside first and Kim carefully closed the door after her.

The kitchen was a mirror image of theirs down the street but had the worn, lived in look of a family. The refrigerator was covered with finger paintings, spelling tests with 'A's written on top, and various family photos of young boys playing sports and riding bicycles. The counters were completely covered with trays of food – from stuffed mushrooms, puff pastries, cookies, crudites, and other delicious looking appetizers.

Martin quickly reached over and picked up four meatballs off a tray. Holding three with the toothpicks, he placed the other on his tongue, pulling out the toothpick between his teeth. He turned around to see Kim eyeing him bemusedly.

"They're good, aren't they?" she asked, brushing past him to take one for herself.

Chewing, Martin nodded and watched as she delicately consumed a meatball.

"So what's up?" Kim popped a meatball into her mouth.

Pausing in his eating, he said, "Jack thinks that there's a chance the party might be connected to the robberies." He went on to share what Jack had told him and finished, "Anyone standing out to you yet?"

He quickly ate the other three meatballs in quick succession as Kim shook her head and reached over and grabbed a cookie shaped like a candy cane. Biting into it, mid-chew she said, "I'm not exactly trained to notice that stuff like you are, but these are the most normal people I've ever met in my life. I just had a half-hour conversation with a woman about how much she loves Tupperware." She motioned to a tray lined with puffed pastries and said, "You've got to try those by the way, they're amazing."

"Well, normal seeming or not, keep your eyes and ears open for anyone asking too many prying questions about us or my job," Martin said, reaching over and snagging two puff pastries. He popped one in his mouth and it practically melted into a delicious buttery glaze onto his tongue. "Oh my God."

"Right?" Kim said, grinning at him as she moved to take a pastry for herself. "I almost want to take this tray and be alone with it in a room."

He laughed softly, savoring the lingering taste on his tongue before popping another one. She laughed softly and he found his eyes staring at her, this scene feeling all to familiar. One of the things he had liked best about Kim was the fact that she shared his love of all things food. She wasn't one of those women who fretted about everything she ate, arguing how the food ended up on her waistline. She enjoyed food as much as he did – something that just made her that much more attractive to him.

~*~

_Splayed on his stomach, his face mashed into the pillow, Martin reached out to the other side of the bed to find it empty. He patted around with his hand only to come into contact with cool sheets. He cracked an eye open and propped himself up on his elbows, scanning Kim's bedroom to find himself alone. He rolled onto his back and wiped the sleep from his eyes, glancing in the direction of the bathroom to see that it was dark and empty as well. _

_He yawned and sat up, curious as to where Kim had wandered off to when he heard the sound of a glass clinking in the kitchen. Smiling, he shirked off the sheets and located his boxers on the floor next to him. After pulling them on, he slowly padded his way out of the bedroom towards the kitchen. _

_The apartment was dark save for the soft yellow glow coming from the refrigerator with a very familiar shadowed figure standing in front of the open door. She was wearing her satin robe and idly scratched the back of her left calf with her bare right foot while sipping water from a glass. Smiling, he slowly shuffled his feet towards where she stood with her back to him, her petite frame silouhetted against the light. _

"_Hey," he greeted, his voice gravelly with sleep. _

"_Hey yourself," she greeted him with a small smile over her shoulder before refocusing on the contents of the refrigerator. _

_Coming to stand behind her, he rested his hands low on her hips as he kissed the crown of her head. Peering over her head, he eyed the items on the shelves. "You know, I've been told the contents don't change no matter how long you stare inside." _

_Giving a throaty laugh, she leaned back so she was pressed up against his chest. "I was just trying to decide what I could put together with as little effort as possible." Reaching one hand up, she slowly grazed her fingers along his cheek. "I don't really cook. I'm more of a heat and serve kind of gal."_

_Chuckling, Martin rested his chin gently on her shoulder. "Well, lucky you, I know my way around a kitchen." _

"_Wow, you just keep getting sexier and sexier," she cooed before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. _

_With an embarrassed grin on his face, he said, "Okay, let's see, we have eggs, bread, milk," his eyes drifted down to the dairy and crisper drawers, "and, butter," turning to look at her he asked, "How do you feel about French toast?"_

_She bridged the space and kissed him. "That sounds perfect."_

_As he gathered the ingredients, she went to the cabinets and pulled out a small pan and a mixing bowl. She set them on the countertop next to the stove before hopping up on the opposite counter, her skinny legs dangling loosely over the side. _

_Martin went to work breaking eggs into the bowl, splashing in some milk and beating them with a whisk. He set the pan on the stove and turned it on, the flames swooshing to life. He opened a drawer and grabbed a knife, quickly slicing a few pads from the butter and sliding them into the warming pan. He grabbed the handle of the pan, tilting it side to side so the butter evenly coated the pan. _

"_Got any vanilla, cinnamon, syrup or powdered sugar?" he asked, studying the butter to make sure it didn't burn. _

_Kim directed him to a cabinet to his left where he found the items in question. He set the syrup and powdered sugar on the counter for later and then dashed some cinnamon and vanilla into the batter, stirring it again. _

"_So is this another skill your aunt taught you?" Kim asked, untwisting the tie on the bread. She pulled out a few slices and set them down near the bowl. _

"_Actually, this one I learned from our old housekeeper, Ursula," he replied, taking a couple of slices of bread, dipped them into the batter until they were completely coated and laid them down in the pan, the butter sizzling at the edges. _

"_It must have been wonderful growing up with a housekeeper," Kim commented, a tinge of envy in her voice. "Never having to dust or vacuum your own house, someone to make your meals…" _

_He grabbed the spatula from the jar with her other utensils and flipped the toast over before turning to look at Kim; her long brown hair hanging forward and covering most of her face. "It's not as glamorous as it seems." He reached over and pushed some of her hair back, wanting to see her face. "I'd much rather of have my mom around more. Maybe I would've been as close as you and your mom." _

_She sighed and looked up at him with gentle eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't trade that for anything – coming home with her in the kitchen making dinner and asking me about my day. Actually, when I think about it, she's probably the reason I love to eat so much." _

_He leaned in and kissed her softly, comfortingly. Pulling back, he returned his attention to the toast. He took a clean plate and fork from the dish rack and placed the French toast on the plate, sliding the fork under a piece. He sprinkled some powdered sugar over the pieces of French toast and handed it to Kim._

_She inhaled the buttery, spicey breakfast treat as he grabbed the syrup and held it over her dish. "Tell me when," he said, uncapping the bottle and drizzling it over the toast. As the syrup began to pool around the edges of her toast, he teased, "Any day now."_

"_When," she finally commanded, taking the fork and cutting a piece. She took the first bite and hummed approvingly. _

"_Good?"_

_She grinned. "So good!" Cutting another piece, she stabbed it with her fork and held it out for him to taste. "Have a taste."_

_He moved to stand between her legs and accepted the proffered bite. She watched him with her seductive eyes and waited until he swallowed before leaning in and giving him a kiss that tasted like syrup and powdered sugar. _

_Pulling back with a proud smile, he turned around and dipped two more pieces for himself. Moving them around the pan with the spatula, he glanced over at Kim who was devouring her meal. _

_Holding up a piece of French toast resting on her fork, she grinned and said, "With this much talent in the kitchen and the bedroom… you're a real keeper." Still smiling, she held up the toast as a mock salute before eating it. _

_He didn't know what to say to that, but he knew it filled his chest with a warm feeling to hear it. Shaking himself free of thinking too deeply about her casual comment, he flipped his toast over and said, "You know, I'm surprised your mom didn't teach you how to cook since she was always making stuff in the kitchen when you were growing up." _

"_I didn't say she didn't teach me," Kim replied with a teasing tone. "I just said I don't like doing it."_

_He laughed. "Sneaky devil." _

~*~

She moved around to the other trays, sampling the different treats. When she found one she really liked, she stepped back over to him and held it out. "I have no idea what this is, but you totally need to taste it."

He took it from her and studied it. He also couldn't identify what it was by its shape either but after taking a bite, he knew he didn't care. It was so delicious, his eyes almost rolled to the back of his head.

"Maybe you need a room of your own," Kim quipped, giving him a beatific grin.

Smiling back, Martin continued eating his treat while another familiar feeling bubbled up inside of him. One of his favorite things about Kim was her smile and how it made him feel. While he knew that she was a beautiful woman, he found that the more he got to know her, the more he adored her face. He'd spend hours studying the beauty marks adorning her cheeks, one on either side of her mouth. They were small, subtle and to an untrained eye, looked almost symmetrical. But to an expert who memorized each part of her body, he knew that one was slightly bigger than the other. But when she smiled it was like two perfect punctuation marks framing her smooth, olive skin.

Suddenly the door to the kitchen swung open and Daphne appeared. "Oh, sorry," she said in a sing-song voice as if she just intruded on a moment between newlyweds. "I just popped in here to refill a few trays…" she trailed off, stepping around them with a bright, cheery grin as she loaded up a new tray, "Don't mind me."

Kim twirled around to face Daphne. "You're not interrupting anything." She stepped over towards Daphne. "We just came in here to sneak a few more snacks." Standing alongside the other woman, Kim asked, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh, I don't want to make you work at my party. You're a guest."

Loading a few pastries onto a tray, Kim said, "It's really no bother. Besides, it helps me get to know everyone else." She glanced at Martin over her shoulder and winked, "It's easier introducing yourself when you're offering someone food."

Daphne studied Kim, slightly reluctantly before surrendering and handing her tray. "Well, I'm not going to deny you if you really want to help."

Kim accepted the tray and headed towards the door. Glancing at Martin, she grinned and said, "See you later, honey. I'm going to go get to know our neighbors." She bumped the kitchen door open with her butt and playfully said, "Don't eat too much while you're in here."

Chuckling, Martin reached over for a cookie and replied, "I'll try, but I'm not going to make any promises."

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A/N: Have I mentioned how grateful I am to Anmodo for her help and guidance? She's great and I appreciate her 'getting' how my writer's mind works. Again, and as always, big thanks to those of you who are reading. I know it's a slow build to the climax but I hope you stick with the ride. Thanks!


	14. Or maybe I know too well

Chapter 13

~*~*~*~

"There's no weakness in forgiveness." ~ Tami Taylor, _Friday Night Lights_

~*~*~*~

"Feeling calmer yet?" Elena asked, gently.

Danny glanced over to see his wife watching him curiously from the other side of the cab's backseat. Sofie was dozing softly between them, her head resting on Elena's shoulder with her mother's arm wrapped around her.

He shook his head, his anger still simmering under his skin and quietly replied, "Not really."

Turning to look out his passenger window, the glow of neon and store lights dancing against the glass as the taxi sped through the city, Danny took a deep breath as the events from earlier in the evening replayed in his mind like a movie clip. It had started out so happily, sharing the news of the pregnancy when it suddenly took a bad turn and steadily went downhill from there…

~*~*~

"_Dinner was delicious, Sylvia," Elena complimented as she pushed her dessert plate away from her. _

"_I'm glad you liked it," Sylvia replied, taking the last bite of her flan. _

_They had just finished dinner at the apartment of his brother, Rafi, and sister-in-law, Sylvia. While the adults enjoyed dessert at the table, the kids disappeared next door to inspect a neighbor's Chihuahua's new litter of puppies. So now that the kids were gone, the adults could enjoy a little adult time. _

"_And what about me?" Rafi teased from across the dining room table. He leaned back in his chair and tilted a can of soda to his lips. "I made the garlic bread." _

_Sylvia rolled her eyes, obligingly ignoring her husband but Danny wasn't ready to let his older brother off the hook as easily. _

_Smirking, Danny gestured with his hands and said, "Yeah, Elena, Rafi spread butter on some bread and put it in the oven." He mockingly egged on, "All Sylvia did was boil the pasta, make the sauce, meatballs, salad…"_

"_Cállese," Rafi grumbled, in an attempt to try and stifle his younger brother's teasing. "You talk a good game for someone who eats tofu burgers. Don't forget I'm the older hermano, you gotta respect that."_

"_Alright, I'm willing to let it go since I'm the younger brother…" under his breath he added, "with the full head of hair."_

_Rafi tossed his paper napkin at him before smiling and asking, "So what big case are you working right now?"_

"_Don't get him started?" Elena playfully warned, picking up her glass of water and taking a drink. _

"_What's that mean?"_

"_It's not a missing person's case. It's this crazy mess one of my co-worker's has gotten involved in and we've all been dragged into it -- a case involving a woman who was involved with a guy from my team," Danny vaguely replied. _

"_Are you talking about su socio, Martín?" Rafi asked, pronouncing Martin's name with the Latin inflection on the 'i.' Danny nodded, remembering that the first time Rafi met Martin was during one of the lowest points of his life so it had left a lasting impression. Good or bad, he wasn't sure. "How's he involved with her and why's it such a mess?" _

_Danny tilted his head side to side, thinking how to explain the situation between Kim and Martin. He bit his lip and decided for the simplest version – the truth. He proceeded to tell Rafi about how Martin met Kim and all the ugly truths that were revealed shortly thereafter – starting with the bank robbery all the way to the deal she arranged by agreeing to pose undercover. _

"_So, now he's living in the same house as her while pretending to be her husband?" Rafi clarified. _

"_Basically," Elena chimed in before Danny could make a sarcastic comment._

_Laughing, Rafi shook his head and started to take another drink of his soda. "Oh, man, that dude is hooked!" _

"_Either way," Danny said, ignoring Rafi's bemusement at a situation he took very seriously, "I need to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid around her."_

_Rafi eyed him from across the table. "Why?"_

_Meeting his gaze, Danny gave him a puzzled expression and asked, "What do you mean why? She's obviously trouble."_

"_How do you know she really isn't trying to make things right?" Rafi asked, lifting up the palms of his hands. _

_The relaxed atmosphere slowly began to be replaced with tension as Danny stared at his brother in disbelief. "Are you serious?" _

"_Why are you?" Rafi bounced back. _

"_I think Danny's just worried about his friend, right?" Sylvia said, cradling the large bowl holding the remaining spaghetti and meatballs with one hand and picking up two glasses by slipping her fingers along the rims. "He doesn't want his friend to get hurt. That's good."_

"_Of course," Elena agreed, starting to stand up and pick up her own plate. _

"_Yeah, exactly," Danny replied with a nod, shifting his gaze from Rafi to the two women. Feeling his nerves pinch tight at the mere notion that his brother would defend that woman, he motioned for Elena to stay seated as he stood up to help clear the dishes hoping the distraction would end the discussion. However, as he picked up both their plates and his empty water glass he couldn't help but add, "I just want to make sure he's not stupid enough to forget all she did to him."_

"_Why's it stupid?" Rafi coolly asked as he also stood up, picking up the plates long discarded by the kids. _

_Danny frowned at his brother. "What?"_

_Not slowing down in the clearing of the table, Rafi continued, "Why is it stupid if he forgives her?"_

"_What kind of question is that?"_

_Holding a small stack of dishes in one hand and two empty glasses in the other, Rafi stared at his brother with a visible frown on his face. "If he cares about her and she is serious about getting her life back on track, why can't you leave it alone?"_

_Danny's grip on his glass tightened. "Because she's trouble. The things she did…"_

"_She did it before she met him," Rafi quickly interjected, effectively stopping Danny's words. Gesturing at him with the hand holding cartoon embossed glasses, he continued, "and with this deal she made, she's going to be a free woman. Why not let them be?"_

"_She screwed him over," Danny argued, unsure why Rafi was so determined to play the role of the Devil's advocate and defend Kim. "Not only doesn't he deserve what she put him through but she doesn't deserve him."_

_Rafi gave him a hard look from across the table. "So she made some mistakes."_

_Danny shook his head, refusing to listen anymore. "Mistakes are forgetting to buy milk, not robbing a bank or taking bribes to let murderers go free or pulling a gun on two federal agents – one of which happened to be me," he explained, hating that his voice raised a few octaves as he finished. _

_Rafi's jaw flexed so tightly, the tendons along his chin were visible under his skin. "People make huge mistakes in desperation but it doesn't mean they are unredeemable..."_

_Stepping towards the kitchen, over his shoulder Danny replied, "Some things are."_

"_What about me?" Rafi's low voice challenged. "Am I unredeemable for my mistakes?"_

_That comment stopped Danny in his tracks. He licked his lips, turned around to face his brother and carefully replied, "That's different. You're family."_

"_Family?" Rafi repeated with a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "You ran as far away from me as you could back when I was making my mistakes." _

"_Rafi…" Sylvia quietly began, a soft warning inflection in her voice._

_Looking at his wife, Rafi shook his head. "No, he needs to hear this. He's arguing that it's family that makes us forgive mistakes but he wrote me off years ago for mine." He refocused on Danny and jutted out his chin defiantly. "Ran so far he even changed his name," he grinned and finished, "Isn't that right Danny Taylor?"_

_The long scabbed over wound effectively peeled open, Danny narrowed his eyes at his older brother as years of buried anger and resentment crept out. It was shocking to Danny that to this day, Rafi still failed to understand why he wanted, no needed to change his name. Maybe he never would. "I had my own reasons for that, it wasn't about you."_

"_Like hell it wasn't," Rafi shot back. "See, I know Danny Alvarez made a lot of mistakes – so many that he'd do anything he could to erase them. But you know what? I know Danny Taylor made a few too."_

"_I don't have to listen to this," Danny replied, trying his best to contain an anger that only his brother managed to ignite in him. He worked his tongue into his cheek and hurried towards the kitchen, putting the dishes into the sink. _

_He prayed that Rafi would let it go but when he heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps behind him, he knew that this conversation wasn't over. _

"_I think Danny Taylor needs to hear this more than anyone," Rafi said, willfully ignoring Danny's attempts to end this escalating argument. "Cuz it's pretty clear mi hermano, you either forgot or really don't understand just how a few bad choices made in a moment of desperation can change your entire life."_

_Adrenaline racing through his veins, Danny clenched and unclenched his fists as he stared back at his brother. "I see people make choices everyday," he argued, as the walls of the kitchen seemed to move in closer, restricting the air in the room. "I have to find people who go missing every single day because of the bad choices they make or someone they trust makes that directly affect their lives." He pointed his index finger in Rafi's general direction and seethed, "Don't you ever tell me that I don't understand." _

_Brushing past him and unceremoniously dropping the dishes into the sink, Rafi spun around and looked at him. "And are they all unredeemable, too? Are you, Danny Taylor, FBI Agent as well as judge and jury?"_

_Waving his hand at him in a classic 'get out of here' gesture, Danny started back into the dining area. "You don't even know this woman, why are you rallying so hard to defend her?"_

_In the dining area, Danny saw Elena and Sylvia eyeing each other worriedly. It didn't take a rocket scientist or psychologist to see that they were wondering if they should intercede or if the bickering brothers would work this out on their own. Not liking how this night was progressing, Danny gave Elena a reassuring look as he moved to his chair. _

_Trailing hot on his heels, Rafi replied, "Because sometimes I think you have a selective memory when it comes to remembering that some people suffer bigger consequences than others."_

_Baited, Danny gripped the back of his chair and turned to face his brother. "Meaning?"_

"_Meaning that when you got in your car accident after law school you may have been drunk but you were lucky that the only thing you hit was a taxi cab," Rafi explained, the anger in his voice ebbing away to resemble something like pity. "But you could have just as easily hit a pedestrian, an old man, a kid…"_

_Suddenly Danny's walls of defense flew up, hating that Rafi was pointing this out in front of Elena. He had told Elena about the incident – she knew everything about his past drinking but he resented Rafi throwing it in his face. He entire body tensed up and he reacted the only way he felt – defensive. "Watch yourself, Rafi."_

_Wordlessly, Elena softly placed her hand on top of his to reassure him that none of that matters to her now. The gesture managed to calm him, if just a little. He glanced down, her eyes silently telling him that it's okay. _

_As if realizing that he had been close to crossing a line, Rafi worked his jaw, as if he was reconsidering his words. After a long pause, he squared his shoulders and met Danny's eyes. "All I'm saying is that __you should think about how different your own life would have been if the accident had gone another way. You were lucky that your consequences had a much happier ending. You had the chance to turn things around." Danny lowered his head solemnly, licked his lips, processing what he was being told. When he looked up, he found Rafi watching Sylvia with sad eyes before his gaze drifted over to Nicky and Rosa, who just re-entered the apartment and were heading in their direction with Sofie trailing behind. "And I know what this Kim might be feeling because I'm trying every day to try and make up for my own mistakes." _

_With a low voice, Danny breathed, "You don't know what she's really doing…"_

_Giving him a hard look, Rafi finished, "Or maybe I know too well."_

~*~*~

Releasing a heavy sigh, he pulled himself free from his brooding and shifted his attention back to Elena. "You know I do believe that people can change. I really do," Danny said, reaching over Sofie's head to softly caress Elena's cheek. "I know I'm living proof of that."

"I know," Elena whispered, tilting her face into Danny's hand.

Danny rested his arm on the top of the backseat but kept his hand on Elena's face. "I know that Rafi's doing all he can to stay on the right path," he met her eyes and with conviction, he reiterated, "I know that." His voice softened and he continued, "And maybe Kim is doing the same thing, but how can I not be skeptical?"

Elena shrugged. "It's okay to be skeptical, mi amor. But it's also good to keep an open mind and hope for the best. Maybe being with someone like Martin has really changed Kim for the better. Finding someone who you can trust and who makes you happy can change your life. This I know for sure."

Smiling at her, Danny leaned over and kissed her when his cell phone warbled in his pocket. Pulling his hand from her face, he reached into his coat and pulled out the phone.

After a quick glance at the caller ID, he pressed the 'talk' button and quietly answered, "Hey, Viv, what's up?"

"Sorry to call on your weekend off but Jack needs you to come in the office – tonight," Viv said in her usual gentle but professional way.

Casting a look at Elena, "Is there a break in the case?"

Through his phone, he could hear Viv shuffling papers as she explained, "Delmar's bringing in a woman from New Jersey. He was going through the phone records and found something." Suddenly the sound of papers was replaced by clicking keys and he pictured Viv working at her desk. "There was a large volume of phone calls from the same number in the weeks leading up to the robbery and they stopped entirely afterwards. He traced them back to a Christine Parcell. He went to go talk to her and she told him that her boyfriend dumped her almost immediately after she was cleared of involvement and then up and disappeared."

"Delmar thinks the ex-boyfriend is the connection?"

"Christine told him her ex, Bobby, was very curious about her work. Always asking how busy she was, days and times of the regular customers, dropped her off in the morning, picked her up and often came to pick her up for lunch."

"So that's how Jimmy was able to get inside knowledge," Danny surmised. "By having one of his guys romance a woman who was working at the bank to get intel."

"That's our guess," Viv agreed. "Anyway, Delmar's going to have her look through some old mug shots to verify it's someone from Jimmy's crew while his team contacts other single women who worked at the previous banks to see if anything else clicks."

"So why do you need me exactly? Don't tell me Jack's having me come in on my weekend off to make calls, cause I know Delmar's men know how to use telephones."

She laughed. "Jack wants to talk to you about the other bank employees where you and Martin are working so we can try and line up their preliminary profiles with whatever knowledge you were able to get yesterday," Viv explained. "We know that there are at least five single women working in the bank. He hated to call you in, but the sooner we get started the sooner we can start looking for any possible links."

Danny closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. While he knew that this was important, he was hoping to just go home, crawl into bed and forget about the stupid fight he'd had with his brother. But as usual, the job often takes precedent. Opening his eyes, he told Viv he would be at the office in about half hour and hung up.

Still clutching his cell, he gave Elena an apologetic look. "Sorry, looks like I am working this weekend after all."

Giving him a small smile, she nodded knowingly. "I know the job, you don't have to apologize to me." Shifting her shoulder to try and get more comfortable against Sofie's slumbering weight, she asked, "So, who's getting dropped off first – us or you?"

Grinning, Danny smiled, "Babe, don't you know?" Elena gave him a questioning look as he added, "You always come first."

She laughed.

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A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating but life is CrAzY. Thank you all for the kind reviews _and_ the constructive criticism. All have been processed, noted, and taken under consideration. In fact, I was inspired to do some tweaking and fine-tuning to the outline by combining, eliminating, and enhancing future chapters. I do believe the story will be the better for it. Thanks. Now, while I thought things _were _happening, I will do my best to make more things happen a little more often. However, I will still keep true to the story I wanted to tell and hopefully you will still want to read. (Oh, and as always, thanks Anmodo for your support and help!)


	15. Under the miseltoe

Chapter 14

~*~*~*~

_But, oh, if you don't want me though  
I'll only want you more  
I fall in love with hard to get  
You know you're just like me  
A mystery – with nothing more to see  
A virtual reality_

~ Hologram by Katie Herzig

~*~*~*~

"Hold on you two!" Daphne shouted.

Kim looked over from where she stood as Martin helped her with her coat to see Daphne worming her way through the crowded living room towards them.

Slipping her arms into her coat, Kim looked up at him and quietly whispered, "We were so close to a clean getaway." He laughed, nodding in agreement as he reached for his own coat. "What do you think she wants now? We already said our goodbyes and thanked her for inviting us."

Shrugging on his own coat, he replied, "No idea."

Daphne breathlessly appeared, clutching a small digital camera. "Whew. To think I almost missed the perfect picture."

"Excuse me?" Kim asked, wrapping her scarf around her neck and tucking it into her collar.

Grinning, Daphne pointed up at something above the threshold. "Pucker up, you two."

Following her index finger, Kim and Martin looked over to see a sprig of mistletoe tacked to the awning. Swallowing, Kim shot a quick look at Martin – the look on his face clearly indicating that this was the last thing he wanted to do. Shifting her attention to Daphne, Kim delicately tried to explain, "Oh, uh, we don't…"

"Yeah, I'd rather…" Martin began when Daphne quickly cut him off.

"Nonsense," she argued, shoving him back and towards Kim. "It's a Crawford tradition for me to take a picture of all couples who find themselves under my mistletoe." Martin looked to Kim for help but knowing that they were cornered and were supposed to pretend to be a happily married couple, she simply shrugged and smiled. "Now, Martin," Daphne held up the camera, her eyes fixed on the digital display window, "kiss that pretty little wife of yours."

Shaking his head, Martin started to protest but Daphne just gently pushed them close together before stepping back to aim her camera. Knowing that the more they tried to get out of it, the longer this awkward moment would take. After all, Kim figured that they had done this plenty of times before and it really shouldn't be that big a deal.

Deciding to just go along with it, Kim leaned up on her tip-toes and whispered, "She's going to keep pushing us until we give in so let's just get it over with."

Snaking her arm around his waist, she pressed her body flush against his and tilted up her chin. But the moment her body made contact with his, she questioned if this was going to be as easy as a simple kiss but rather than overthinking it, she simply brought her hands up to the side of his face and pressed her lips to his.

The moment their mouths met, she suddenly wasn't sure if the sparks dancing behind her closed eyelids were from the camera or something more.

Martin broke the kiss first, stepping back and smiling at Daphne. "Um, so is that okay?"

"Magical," Daphne quipped with a wink in Kim's direction. Gesturing with her camera, she said, "I'll be sure to get you a copy, okay?"

"Thanks," Kim replied, bringing her fingers to her lips that were still swollen and tingling with the memory of Martin's lips.

"Good night," Martin said to Daphne as he pressed his hand to Kim's back and ushered her to the front door. As they crossed the threshold, he breathed, "That was awkward."

Forcing a smile on her face, Kim averted her eyes and murmured her agreement as she stepped out into the chilly night. As she moved down the front steps, Kim eyed all the other happy couples and families heading back to their own homes. When Martin's palm dropped from her back, she felt an urge to reach out and grab his hand in an effort to linger in the illusion just a little while longer. But judging by the pensive look on Martin's face, she decided that wasn't in the cards so she pulled on her gloves and shoved her hands into her coat pockets.

They exchanged smiles and goodnights with a few neighbors as they passed before finally getting in step on the sidewalk. The sounds from the Crawford's house could still be heard as they walked home, the soulful sounds of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan singing about how it was cold outside filtered its way through the neighborhood.

Needing to break the awkward silence, she said, "That was pretty fun." She glanced askance at Martin who had his own hands shoved into his coat. "I mean all things considered."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, better than I thought."

"I tried to see if anyone could be connected like you and Jack wanted but everyone seemed really nice," she commented, glancing around at all the decorated houses. Through the illuminated windows, she spied the different Christmas trees and decorations, feeling a warm holiday feeling somewhere deep in her chest. "Or at least everyone I talked to seemed really normal."

"Yeah, I didn't get a strange vibe from anyone either, but I can tell you that you were a big hit," Martin replied with a grin.

"Shut up," she replied, shaking her head with a soft laugh.

"Seriously, I think Daphne wants to be your new BFF," he replied and she laughed again. He tilted his body closer to hers, gently knocking her shoulder with his arm. "I also think some of the guys have crushes on you. That Christopher Bowen seemed to talk to you for a long time."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, that guy is some piece of work. He manages a department store and likes to horde gifts for his high end clients." She pulled her coat closer to her, the air crisp and frosty, as her eyes drifted to houses further down the street as she enjoyed this moment of levity. "He said that way when they come in at the last minute…" she said as when she spotted a black SUV stopped idly at the corner. The passenger window was rolled half-way down and in the back of her mind she wondered who would do that in this weather. "…they can still get pretty much whatever they want..." she trailed off the moment her eyes locked on the SUV as the figure seated inside leaned forward, his profile illuminated under the street lamp.

The dark black hair slicked back.  
The promient brow just above dark brooding eyes.  
The long pointed nose.  
The thin lips.  
A face that was seared into her memory with pain and regret.

"You okay?" Martin asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Kim took a few steps forward, keeping her gaze trained on the vehicle in the distance. "I think…" she began when the SUV's window rolled back up and sped off.

"What is it?" Martin asked, getting in step alongside her and following her eyeline.

Kim swallowed, staring in the direction where the van disappeared. "I think I just saw Jimmy."

"Are you sure?"

She turned to face him, her heart increasing in beats per minute. "It's dark but…" she glanced back at where the SUV had been parked, "but yeah, I'm sure."

When her gaze drifted back to Martin, he was already pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "Jack, we just spotted Jimmy Wright."

~*~*~*~

"Ainge launches a beautiful pass…" Marino announced from behind the ESPN sports desk.

Martin slumped further into the sofa, his eyes fixed to the Jets game playing on the flat screen TV. With a small grin, he couldn't help but think that he could get used to work days like this one.

After he called Jack to tell him that Kim may have spotted Jimmy, they were instructed to go back to the house while some of Delmar's agents canvassed the neighborhood for any sign of the SUV. Unfortunately after a few hours of searching, there wasn't any sign of the vehicle much less Jimmy or anyone from his crew. So, Jack ordered them to hang close to the house but remain visible in case Jimmy was keeping them under surveillance.

So while Kim decided to do something really radical and try and cook a meal from scratch, he opted for a more traditional role as the suburban husband by spending his Sunday watching football.

He shifted his socked feet on the coffee table and reached for the remote to adjust the volume when his cell phone warbled beside him. He grabbed it, quickly glancing at the caller-ID and answered, "Hey Jack."

"Are you going to spend all day on your ass?"

Laughing, Martin glanced out the window that faced the rental house behind the house and replied, "I'm married and living in the suburbs. I'm just trying to keep it real."

"Only a single man would think that real husbands get to spend all day doing nothing on the weekend," Jack dryly replied. "That's the quickest road to divorce."

"You would know," Martin quipped, instantly cringing when he realized he might be crossing a line.

Thankfully, Jack ignored it and switched gears. "We still haven't located Jimmy or any sign of someone from his crew. Viv is still working the 'boyfriend' angle but it's not easy with so many single women working at the bank."

An image of Eli flashed in Martin's mind. "Anybody standing out?"

"Not yet but it's not easy re-tracing all the men that that Lola woman has been linked with in the last six months," Jack quipped with a snort. "It's like her bedroom has a revolving door."

"Eli did say that she was out to get back at her ex one man at a time," Martin replied, pressing the pause button on the DVR as the Jets and Dolphins were mid-tackle.

"Well, I'd say she's off to a good start, but so far no one seems to be consistent enough to be a viable match so far," Jack deadpanned. "Of course, we can't rule out that the Lothario on Jimmy's crew hasn't even made contact yet with someone yet. The good news is that if Kim did see Jimmy last night, he saw her, too."

"Well, here's hoping he makes another pass by the house so we can get confirmation that he's targeting my bank."

"Yup," Jack agreed.

Picking up the remote again, Martin's finger was poised over the play button as he said, "Alright, thanks for the update."

"Hey, Martin."

"Yeah?"

"Get off your keister so you can 'keep it real' in front of some windows where someone may actually see you," Jack ordered before promptly hanging up.

With a bemused smile, he hit the 'end' button and gave a mock salute to the camera inside the Angel on the tree. Sighing heavily, he glanced at the paused TV. Deciding this was just as good a time as any, he stood up, tucked his cell phone into his back pocket and went off to do some laundry.

That was nice and domestic and keep him visible.

He wandered over to the kitchen to see Kim studying a recipe book, her tortoise shell eyeglasses set low on her nose. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail but a few strands still managed to fall loose around her face. Scattered around on the counters were bowls, jars of spices, measuring cups and spoons, and various food items like sticks of butter, carton of broth, and a bag of flour. In the center of the chaos was the blender containing some brownish-looking liquid.

"How's it going in here?" he asked, drawing her attention.

She looked up and sighed. "I'm this close," she held up her hand, using her thumb and index finger as a form of measure and finished, "to giving up and just ordering a pizza."

He glanced around the kitchen, noting that there wasn't anything on the stove or in the oven yet. "What have you made so far?"

She laughed. "I'm still trying to figure out the recipe for the sauce."

Crossing his arms, he leaned against the doorjamb and said, "As much as I love pizza, I think you shouldn't call it quits until you have at least tried actually cooking something. Even Julia Child had to go to cooking school and practice, practice, practice."

She scrunched up and made a face. "Fair enough." She reached for a measuring cup and asked, "So did you just come in here to check up on me?"

Watching as she carefully filled the cup with some broth, he replied, "Jack called and wants me to look busy…"

She grinned over at him. "I told you that watching football wasn't going to cut it."

"Anyway," he segued with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "I thought I would do some laundry. Do you want me to grab the towels and sheets from your room?"

Pouring the broth into the blender, she smiled over at him. "That'd be great, thanks." Setting the cup down, she pushed up her glasses with her index finger. "I have a load in the dryer but it should be done pretty soon."

He nodded but made no move to exit quite yet. "So, what are you making anyway?"

Giving him a coy smile, she straightened her posture and said, "It's a surprise."

"Okay," he replied with a matching smile. As he turned to leave, over his shoulder he teased, "Good luck, Julia."

He could still hear her laughing as he started to the stairs.

After he stripped the sheets from his bed, he grabbed the towels from his bathroom and shoved them all in a pillowcase. Slinging it over his shoulder, he headed to Kim's room.

Dropping his laundry by the door, he entered her room and wandered over to the bathroom, gathering the towels. Walking back into the bedroom, he tossed the towels in a pile and started pulling off the comforter from the bed. He lifted the pillows, removing their cases and tossing them on a nearby chair. He turned to pull back the sheets when he noticed a t-shirt and pajama bottoms lying where the pillows once were. Picking up the clothes, he couldn't help but notice the scent that was uniquely Kim – an aroma somewhere between lavender and her skin. Realizing how dangerous it was to linger in her fragrance, he tossed the clothes in the general direction of the towels and moved to yank off the fitted sheet recalling how he'd found a pair like that the first time he slept over. When he'd asked her about it, she told him that her mom taught her to tuck her PJs under her pillow every morning and it was something that always stuck with her.

Of course, in the past whenever he slept over she never once had needed to wear pajamas to bed.

After he pulled off the sheets, he shoved her sheets and the pajamas into her pillowcase. Grabbing both bundles of sheets and towels, he made his way downstairs. A small smile crossed his face as he couldn't help but note how much he liked this feeling of domesticity.

And then just as quickly as he recognized it, he did his best to will it away, knowing that he was dangerously close to forgetting the reason why he was where he was. But then a quick glimpse at the poinsettia plant at the base of the stairs was all the reminder that he needed to keep his personal feelings buried down deep. Eyes were watching his every move.

He heard the blender whir to life so he decided to avoid Kim for a little while longer in order to let his warm feelings dissipate. Instead, he opted to not enter the laundry room through the kitchen and instead, move down the adjacent hall to use the other doorway.

Carefully cradling one bundle in front and the other slung over his shoulder, he pushed the laundry door open only to come face to face with a half-dressed Kim. She was wearing her jeans but her top was off, revealing a white lace bra that he knew intimately.

He came to an abrupt stop at seeing her like that – something that also caused a fair amount of blood to drain from his head to regions south.

"Shit, sorry!" she stammered, grabbing a t-shirt from the open dryer. "I thought I could change before you came back downstairs."

Realizing he was gaping at her, he turned around so his back was to her. "Why are you changing in here?"

"I forgot to put the lid on the blender and it sprayed the sauce all over me," she explained. "I knew I had a load in the dryer so I thought I'd just rush in and change really quick." Her voice was muffled and then she said, "You can turn around now."

He did and wondered how a woman he already thought beautiful could look even more so with specs of brown sauce stuck in her hair. Swallowing, he pointed to her hair and said, "You, uh, you have…"

Reaching up, she plucked a few bits free from her strands and asked, "Did I get it?"

He could still see a few specs here and there but he just nodded. "Yeah, you're good."

She gave him a small smile and took a step back. "Alright, I better get back to cooking."

"Yeah right," he said as she stepped out through the doorway leading to the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, he released a breath he didn't even know he was holding as flashes of images of her body flashing through his mind, sending jolts of arousal through his body. Exhaling loudly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, hitting speed dial. He needed to talk to someone who would be the douse of cold water he needed right now.

It rang twice when a familiar voice of reason answered.

"Hey, Danny," Martin greeted. "Got a minute?"

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A/N: Sorry for another long delay in updating but I promise, I have not abandoned this fic. Just going very, very slow. Sorry. Thanks, Anmodo, for your help and support!


	16. Last thing she should be feeling

Chapter 15

~*~*~*~

_If what they say is "Nothing is forever"  
Then what makes, then what makes,  
Then what makes love the exception?_

~ 'Hey Ya' by Obadiah Parker

~*~*~*~

Danny didn't bother to knock, knowing that he had been ID'd as soon as he pulled up in front of the surveillance house. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Glancing around the sparse, unfurnished home, he moved down the tiled hallway floor towards the den in the rear. The walls were painted that plain shade of white that was standard in all surburban houses. As he neared he heard voices filtering down, one voice standing out above the rest.

"…go ahead and put a trail on her," Jack's sandpaper voice directed.

Reaching the den that was designated the command area, Danny glanced around, studying the setup. In the center of the room sat three card tables holding a small bank of four monitors where Lucy and one of Delmar's agents, Stinson, sat on folding chairs studying the screens. On the monitors were images from outside the house (including Danny's borrowed FBI sedan parked in the driveway) and the interior of the house where Martin and Kim were posing as Mr. and Mrs. Granger. The screens featured mostly empty rooms with the exception of one where he saw Martin and Kim in the kitchen. Martin was moving around, looking in cabinets while Kim stood at the small sink at the island rinsing some meat.

Lucy turned around to look at him, giving him a small wave hello before redirecting her attention to the monitors. Then Stinson whispered something to her and stood up, giving Danny a short nod of acknowledgment before moving past and heading down the hallway and up the stairs.

Slightly rolling his eyes, Danny shook his head and turned to look at Jack who was pacing nearby.

"Keep me updated," Jack said into his phone as he spun around, not looking the least bit surprised to see one of his agents in the room but curious all the same. Pulling his cell phone away from his ear and hitting the end button, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Shoving his hands into his leather jacket, Danny shrugged and as casually as possible, replied, "Elena and Sofie went Christmas shopping with Samantha so I thought I'd stop by and check up on things." He was careful to omit that the main reason he was here was because Martin had called him earlier to talk about his conflicted feelings about Kim. He just hoped that he would still be able to find a chance to go over and talk to Martin himself. "Apparently Sunday afternoon is a big shopping day."

"Must be. Kate and Hanna are out shopping with…" Jack abruptly paused before finishing, "They're out shopping, too."

Not willing to let that careful omission slip by unaddressed, with a teasing voice, he asked, "With who?" Jack narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in his customary way of avoidance so Danny decided to play along and let him off the hook. "So, do you and the girls have any special plans with… I mean, for the holiday?"

The corner of Jack's lip twitched into a hint of a smile. "They want to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center."

"Really? When? What time?" Danny asked, a full-fledged grin spreading over his lips. "Cuz Jack Malone on ice skates is something I'd pay to see."

Not skipping a beat, Jack evenly replied, "You won't. It's my job as 'Dad' to hang out, work the video camera and watch their stuff. Not participate."

Danny simply smirked. If there was one thing he understood, after all these years, is when it is and isn't okay to poke a bear. Judging by Jack's hands off attitude, he'd done enough of that for now. So he crossed his arms and changed the subject. "So who are you having tailed?"

"One of the bank employees: Lola," Jack explained, mimicking his posture. "She's registered to attend one of those speed dating things tonight. Might be the perfect chance for one of Jimmy's men to make contact."

He nodded. "Is she our main focus right now?"

Jack shrugged. "Too soon to tell, but she's got a lot of potential."

"So what's going on at Casa Granger?" Danny asked, stepping over to study the monitors.

"Just a typical day in suburbia," Jack replied, moving alongside Danny.

They both stood behind Lucy and watched the monitors as Martin and Kim chatted casually. Judging by Martin's posturing, it appeared like he was trying to study whatever Kim was cooking. If it were any other man or woman in the world, Danny might have thought it looked sweet.

"We don't have volume?" Danny asked, casting a quick look at Jack before refocusing his attention to the small monitor.

Clearing his throat, Jack carefully replied, "I decided that until Jimmy shows up, we could leave it off." Danny stole a look out of the corner of his eye. "Give them some sort of privacy."

Danny worked his jaw, unsure how he felt about this but decided to keep quiet. He returned his attention to the monitor in time to see Kim's shoulders shaking hard from laughter at something Martin had said to her.

Huffing, Danny quietly commented, "Man, she _is_ a good con artist. No one ever thinks Martin is that funny."

"He can be sometimes," Lucy quietly said. Both Danny and Jack shot her a questioning look and she blushed brightly. "What? I said sometimes." With both men still giving her puzzled looks, she licked her lips nervously and stammered out, "I'm going to get a soda."

Danny watched as she quickly stood up and hurried to the kitchen. Smiling at the young woman's embarrassment, he shook his head and returned his attention to the monitors.

"Do you think he's dealing with this okay?" Jack asked, his voice steady and even.

Keeping his gaze locked on the screen, Danny considered how to reply. He knew that Martin was struggling being around her. The phone call from earlier confirmed it, but at the same time, if Martin wasn't willing to pull himself out of the operation – not that it was really an option anymore – perhaps it was best to just keep things status quo.

Opting to play it safe and not alarm Jack, he replied, "I think so but it's still a complicated situation."

Working his jaw, Jack said, "I just want to make sure that people's personal feelings don't interfere with the case."

Nodding that he understood, Danny opened his mouth to say something when he noticed a car pulling up outside of Martin and Kim's house. Both he and Jack leaned in close to watch the monitor to see if the driver was Jimmy Wright when the car door opened up and the last person they expected to see stepped out.

Victor Fitzgerald looked as tall and imposing as Danny remembered and even though he was dressed in casual attire, he still looked intimidating. They both watched as the man's long legs made fast and easy strides up the front sidewalk towards the door. There was a notable frown on his face.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Jack grumbled, leaning forward and resting the palm of his hands on the card table, his focus locked onto the monitor.

Danny shook his head. "I don't know but something tells me that Martin's feelings about Kim aren't the ones we have to worry about…"

~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me what you're making?" Martin asked again as he wandered into the refrigerator to refill his glass with water. "I might be able to help."

"I told you no. I want it to be a surprise," Kim replied from where she stood patting dry some meat. It was taking all her effort to conceal exactly what kind of meat she was preparing. She just prayed that she would be able to pull it off and not burn anything. So far so good but she was working so slowly and carefully that if she kept this pace dinner wouldn't be served until after nine.

"Oh-kay," he replied with feigned annoyance before taking a sip of water.

The dryer buzzer sounded from the laundry room and he set the glass down, announcing, "That's my cue."

"Have fun," she teasingly replied as she returned her focus to preparing dinner. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he disappeared into the laundry room.

Sighing heavily, she couldn't help but find herself savoring the easiness between her and Martin this afternoon. And then with a heavy heart, she reminded herself that he had pulled her into this feeling before and she had to force herself to think of a way out…

~*~

_Kim's bedroom was bathed in the soft yellow light as her eyes fluttered awake. Feeling happy and satiated, she stretched out like a cat and rolled onto her side to come face-to-face with a slumbering Martin. Shifting under the covers, she adjusted her own pillow under her head with a small smile on her lips as she studied his face. _

_Sprawled on his stomach, Martin's left cheek was pressed into the pillow and there was a small bit of drool at the corner of his mouth. He was deeply asleep and released a soft snore before he mumbled something, adjusted his arm under the pillow, and settled deeper in the bed. _

_She smiled at him. He was a handsome man, no doubt, but he was pretty darn adorable when he was sleeping. Taking a deep breath, she scooted closer to him and mentally traced his features in her mind. She couldn't help but think she could get used to seeing his face beside her every morning. _

_And that was exactly the very last thing she should be thinking or experiencing. _

_She knew her feelings for him were deepening and that this boy she thought she could have a little fun with was becoming much more to her. She had vowed to not get involved in any serious relationships while she was biding her time waiting for the perfect opportunity to take the fifty thousand from Elber and disappear. Besides, Martin seemed to not only believe her story but he also covered for her so that she wouldn't be charged with pulling a gun on a federal agent. Sleeping with him couldn't be much more dangerous. _

_Of course, at the time she also thought that she would be able to keep her emotions out of it. But now, she found herself getting excited by the mere thought of seeing him again and that was never a good sign. In the past, that feeling was a pre-cursor to the big 'L' and that could never happen…especially with a federal agent. _

_Rolling onto her back, she ran a hand through her hair and mentally chastised her heart for betraying her and her plans. So, needing to get some distance and some clarity, she carefully extricated herself from under the covers without waking Martin. She grabbed her robe off the chair and wrapped it around her bare form. She glanced at Martin, her body equally heavy with regret and yearning, and stepped out into the kitchen have a cup of coffee and peruse the travel section of the newspaper. _

~*~

Pulling the paper towel up, Kim checked the pork chops to make sure they were dry. Satisfied that she followed the instructions in the cook book correctly, she put them in the baking dish and covered it with the mushroom gravy before placing it in the pre-heated oven.

Realizing that she had some time before she had to start the side dishes, she decided this might be the perfect opportunity to run upstairs and take a shower in order to get rid of the dried bits of gravy from the blender mishap earlier in the day. After yanking off the apron, she tossed it on a stool and headed out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

She was about to head upstairs when the doorbell rang.

Her entire body went rigid while her heart started racing a mile a minute at the very thought that it might be Jimmy on the other side. She stared at the door and then carefully pivoted on her feet to try and take a peek through the window alongside the door. When she did, she noticed that the person standing on the front steps was a tall, older, white man and most importantly, not Jimmy.

Deciding that it might be one of the neighbors, she walked up to the door and opened it.

"Hello," she greeted, her pulse slowing and relaxing that she wouldn't have to face her old lover quite yet. She smiled up at the older man and asked, "Can I help you?"

The man's jaw clenched and in a short, clipped tone, he replied, "I'm here to speak to Martin." Furrowing her brow in confusion that this man she had never met was asking about Martin, Kim opened her mouth to ask who he was but before she could speak, the man looked past her into the house and greeted, "Hello son."

Stunned, she spun around to see Martin walking slowly towards them. He had a look somewhere between uneasiness and annoyance as the air filled with a palpable tension.

She suddenly wished he had been a neighbor so they could continue the charade of a happily married couple. But instead, she was suddenly confronted with stone cold reality because judging from the icy atmosphere this wasn't going to be a pleasant visit between father and son.

Not to mention, her keen sense told her that her connection to Martin was a big part of the tension.

"Dad," Martin replied as he neared. "Kim, this is my father, Victor Fitzgerald."

"Hello," Kim nervously greeted and was rewarded with a slight nod. She motioned for Victor to enter. "Please, come in."

Stepping into the house, Victor's eyes scanned the room appraisingly. "I see they set you up nicely."

"We're not complaining," Martin replied, turning and moving to the rear of the house towards the den area as Victor followed.

Kim got in step behind the two men, her stomach churning.

They entered the room and Martin sat down on sofa while Victor took a seat on the opposite one. They both sat the same way: legs spread, elbows resting on knees and hands clasped.

Suddenly feeling the need to escape, Kim cleared her throat and asked, "Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Got any bourbon?" Victor asked.

"Undercover operation, remember? No booze." Martin quietly reminded.

"Right." Victor nodded before looking back over at Kim. "Coffee would be nice. Thank you."

Glancing quickly at Martin who tilted his head that he appreciated the gesture, Kim stepped out of the room and headed towards the kitchen. With shaky hands, she headed to the counter and started preparing a fresh pot of coffee. As she scooped up some coffee and put it into the filter, she could hear quiet voices filtering from the den. She knew that the house had so many acoustics but it wasn't until now that she wished the sound were more muffled.

"…I had such plans for you, but you continue to throw away every opportunity I've given you," Victor said, his voice tight but level.

She tilted her head in the direction of the den to try and hear Martin's reply but he was clearly aware of how voices carry because his words were so low that she could only make out a soft mumble. When she also didn't hear Victor's reply, she guessed that Martin had warned his father to keep his voice low.

She pressed the button to begin brewing the coffee and opened the cabinet to grab cups and a tray, setting the cups and the sugar bowl on the tray. She moved to the refrigerator to get the half and half when she heard Victor say something indecipherable. When she didn't hear any more voices, she took a few deep breaths trying to steady herself for whatever may be occurring in the other room and continued in her task. Once the coffee was done brewing, she poured coffee in all three cups and carried the tray back into the den.

She had just exited the kitchen and was moving through the dining room and towards the den when Victor's voice boomed out.

"Damn it, Martin. What is it with you? Why do you continue to make such stupid decisions when it comes to this woman? When are you going to learn that…?"

Kim stopped in her tracks causing the sugar bowl to rattle against a coffee cup, making a loud clinking sound. The noise jarred both Martin and Victor's attention, bringing their conversation to a screeching halt.

Swallowing, Kim nervously hurried to where they sat and set the tray down on the coffee table. "Here you go."

"Kim…" Martin softly began but she cut him short with a gesture of her hand.

"Um, here's the coffee and…" she trailed off, her words getting lodged in the lump in her throat. She didn't know why this man's words stung so severely but they cut her deep. Feeling the same urgency to flee as she did the day Martin had asked her about the gun, she creaked out, "If you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna…"

As she turned to leave, she saw Martin start to stand up but she couldn't bear hearing what he might try and do right now so she just kept walking until she was sure that he wasn't going to follow. When she reached the bedroom, she went inside and closed the door, leaning back against it, tears welling in her eyes. She wasn't crying because of what Victor had said about her but with the harsh reminder that he was right.

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A/N: To those who are kind enough to still be reading this fic, I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update. Life got nuts, motivation got low, and that damn 'Sky' series is tugging at me again. I promise this story will be finished and I hope to update more regularly now that the dust has settled and it's a new year. ;-)


	17. Leave personal out of it

**Chapter 16**

**_The space between  
Our wicked lies  
Is where we hope to keep safe from pain_**

**~ The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band**

**

* * *

**Martin resisted the urge to follow after Kim and just stood there, helplessly watching as she headed upstairs. Waiting until he was certain she was out of earshot, he turned around and glared at his father.

"I hope you're happy with yourself," he seethed.

"I'm only speaking the truth that you seem determined to ignore," Victor bounced back, his face as hard and unyielding as stone.

Mimicking his father's demeanor, he replied, "No, this is you interfering and trying to control my life."

Clenching his jaw, Victor leaned forward in his seat and fixed his gaze firmly on his son's. "I am here to make sure that you keep to your word. You said that you would leave your personal feelings out of this but based on the footage I've seen," he pointed towards the stairs where Kim just retreated and finished. "You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment."

Martin glanced around at the cameras in the den area and replied, abhorred, "You've been watching us?"

"Damn right, I have," he replied, unabashed. "I know you, son. No matter what you said, you are not only trying to catch Jimmy Wright but you are trying to redeem that woman in the process." Martin didn't reply but simply shook his head in disgust, wondering why he was so surprised at his father's actions since he should have known that last thing Victor Fitzgerald does is sit on the sidelines. "The thing is… the thing that you are unwilling to believe is that sometimes people are unredeemable."

"Is that why you came here? To bestow your fatherly wisdom?" Martin countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He shook his head as a weary expression set on his face. "I came down because I want both you and her to know that if she does anything to derail this operation, I will see to it that they throw the book at her when this is over."

"It's not her you're worried about," Martin declared, working his tongue into his cheek. "This is about me not embarrassing you again, right?"

To his credit, Victor had the decency to look chagrined. "I will admit that whatever you do reflects on me. Like it or not, we are connected and your decorum represents all Fitzgeralds."

Martin nodded, knowing all too well about how he was expected to tow the family line. He sighed audibly, understanding that there was no way for the two men to find agreement now of all times if they haven't been able to see eye-to-eye for as long as he could remember.

The air was thick with the brooding silence of the two men at odds. After a long beat, Victor stood up and said, "You can think whatever you want, Martin, but you almost lost your career because of what happened." Martin shifted his attention back to his father. "Thankfully, up until recently, you had a good track record but you need to be careful in everything you do right now. I need you to know that. You may not be concerned about how your career advances but you do need to be careful enough to ensure you keep the one you have."

With a tense jaw, Martin nodded, knowing that his father made a valid point. And just like when he was a teenager, he hated it when his father was right.

Victor stood up and quietly announced, "I should get going."

Martin adjusted his stance and folded his arms. "I think that would be best."

Nodding solemnly, Victor began to move towards the door. As he moved past, he slowed his pace and gently put his hand on Martin's shoulder before quickly letting his hand fall away and continuing down the hallway. Without bothering to look back, Victor added, "I'll tell your mother you're looking well."

Closing his eyes, Martin worked his tongue into his cheek as he processed what his father told him. When he heard the front door click open and shut, he ran a hand through his hair and opened his eyes. He found himself staring up at the angle atop the Christmas tree and cringed, knowing that whatever agents were on shift had just witnessed something so personal between father and son. Taking a deep breath, he shifted his gaze towards the foot of the stairs.

Kim.

Ignoring the implications of what he was doing, he started towards the stairwell. As he moved up each step, his stomach became a tangled knot of emotions as the voices of his father, Danny, Jack, and Kim each vied for his mind's attention. As frustrating as it was, he could appreciate the warnings from his father, from Jack, from Danny - each providing a valid perspective on what he was doing or needs to do. The problem was in the cacophony of voices - not a single one did he recognize as his own voice telling him what he what he needed to do for himself.

He knew what a slippery slope he was on. He got mad for allowing himself to feel softened emotions towards Kim when he thought they were long gone. He wondered why is it so easy to remember every mistake he had made in his own life, replaying every misstep and try to think how he could have made it right. How one could mull and fret over every little bad thing someone ever told in their life but when it comes to someone you have feelings for – someone you care about – all you seem to focus on are the things they did right, the things they do or did that make you feel good, make you feel loved. And just how easy it is when you feel those feelings again to let the other stuff fade into the background.

So shaking his head, silencing the internal noise, he reached Kim's room and knocked. After all, no matter what they still had a job to do.

It was quiet so long on the other side that just as he was trying to decide if she just didn't want to talk or made a run for it, he heard her meekly say, "Come in."

Turning the knob, the metal feeling cold in his nervous, clammy hands, he entered the dimly lit bedroom. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, the sole source of light being the gray daylight outside the bedroom window.

Kim was seated at the top of the bed with her back pressed up against the headboard. Her legs were crossed and she was hugging a pillow tightly to her small frame. Her head was lowered, her beautiful profile silhouetted in the shadows, giving her an almost ethereal quality in this achingly traditional, suburban-decorated bedroom. He stepped up and sat on the edge of the bed and she lifted up her chin, revealing her eyes, puffy from crying.

"I just wanted to let you know he's gone," he creaked out, hating how lame his voice sounded to his own ears.

She nodded that she heard him and he watched as she wiped the tear stains from her cheek.

Glancing away, needing to focus on something other than every cell in his body telling him to wrap her in his arms and comfort her, he focused on her eyeglasses, resting so familiarly on the nightstand. He clasped his hands together, wringing them nervously and began, "I, uh, my father…," He paused, trying to locate his words. "I don't agree…"

"No, don't," she interrupted, her voice sounding soft and far away. "He's your father. He's just looking out for you because he cares."

He planted a forced smile on his face and glanced at her askance. "That's a nice way of saying he interferes. That he doesn't have faith in me doing the right thing."

Brushing some loose strands of hair behind her ear, she gingerly replied, "He just wants what's best for you."

"He wants what's best for him," he countered, shaking his head, finally meeting her eyes. "He doesn't care about what I want."

Kim stared back at him with her dark chocolate brown eyes and softly asked, "And what do you want?"

He stared back at her, their eyes locked in a lingering tension in anticipation of his answer. He found so many possible answers to her question bouncing around his brain, like socks in a dryer asking him what did he want? He used to think he knew but after meeting Kim, suddenly his black and white world found itself in a fog of gray.

Because he knew that right now, in this instance, being so close to her in this bedroom the only thing he was sure of was how much he wanted to kiss her.

"I…" he began, his mouth suddenly feeling as dry as the desert. He paused, licking his lips and when he tried to open his mouth again the only sound filling the room was the grumble of his stomach. And the next sound he heard was Kim's loud, lilting laughter. Happy that the tension was dissipating, he joined in and laughed, "I guess right now, I want to eat."

* * *

"What the hell is he doing here?" Jack growled with his eyes fixed on the monitor where they were watching Martin and Victor talking.

"Checking up on his sonny boy would be my guess," Danny offered, studying the tense scene between father and son. Judging by Martin's posturing, he could easily guess that the conversation was not pleasant.

Suddenly Kim appeared on screen and they watched as Victor said something to her, causing her to instantly retreat upstairs. He found himself anxious to hear what was being discussed so he turned to Jack and asked, "Should we turn on the volume?"

Jack shook his head, a visible frown on his face. "No. Something tells me that whatever is being discussed has nothing to do with the investigation – at least not as far as it concerns us." He pulled his eyes away from the monitor and pondered aloud, "What I want to know is how he knew that he wouldn't interfere in the case. He couldn't be sure Jimmy wasn't in the house or that he might ruin the entire investigation."

Danny didn't have an answer for that so he just shrugged when Lucy cleared her throat and carefully, quietly said, "I might know."

Both sets of eyes turned to look over to where she was standing, a can of soda clutched tightly in one hand.

"What do you know?" Jack asked.

Lucy shifted her feet uneasily, clearly uncomfortable at having to come clean to Jack Malone. "When I set up the surveillance equipment, Director Fitzgerald called me to request a wireless connection for him to access the streaming footage from his office in D.C."

Jack stepped forward. "He did what?"

"Like I said, keeping an eye…" Danny began when Jack shot him a look, sufficiently stopping any more sarcasm from slipping past his tongue.

Lucy's eyes darted between the two men before continuing, "He said that he wanted to be able to monitor things from Washington."

"Why didn't you mention this to me earlier?"

"He's the Director so I thought…" Lucy nervously stammered out, her face bright beet red as if she had just been found guilty of betrayal.

"You were just doing your job," Jack acquiesced before shifting back to interrogator mode. "Is there anyone else monitoring things that I should know about?"

Shaking her head, furiously, Lucy answered, "No, just him and us. That's it." She held up the palm of her hand. "I swear."

Danny glanced back over at the monitors to see that Martin was now alone in the living room, running a worried hand over his pensive face. Shifting his gaze to the monitor with the security camera facing the exterior of the house, he watched as Victor got back into his car and drove down the street, disappearing around the corner.

"Well, he's gone now," Danny announced.

Jack looked over his shoulder at the monitors in time to see Martin stepping towards the stairs when he suddenly shifted his attention to a monitor on the far end. "We should be so lucky," he said under his breath only loud enough for Danny to hear as he gestured to the monitor that featured the exterior of the rental house in time to see Victor was now paying them a visit.

Squaring his shoulders, Jack turned and headed down the hallway towards the front door just as Victor entered.

"You're just full of social calls today aren't you?" he rhetorically greeted in his classic sardonic tone.

Letting Jack's comment slide, Victor closed the door behind him and moved into the foyer. "How are things on this end?" he asked, not bothering to stop and wait for the answer as he stepped to the rear of the house towards Danny and Lucy. "Everything going alright?"

"We had a surprise visitor today but I think you know about that," Jack answered as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and got in step behind Victor.

Victor tilted his head, indicating that he heard Jack's comment but once again, ignored it. Instead, he nodded as way of greeting to Danny and Lucy. "Agents."

"Director," they both replied, each looking uneasy as if they were corralled with two bulls in a small stall.

Victor gestured to Lucy's soda can. "I'd love one of those, if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course, Sir. I'll be right back," she eagerly replied, looking relieved at an excuse to exit the room.

Danny's eyes followed her enviously as Victor moved past him to stand in front of the bank of monitors, crossing his arms as he studied them with focused interest. His eyes flicked over the screens and it was at this instant that he realized there was no sign of Martin or Kim anywhere. He knew that Kim had gone into her bedroom and that the only other rooms not being monitored was Martin's bedroom and the bathrooms so he could only hope that his friend had the common sense to be spending his time on the pot right now.

But he didn't have much time to dwell on it because just then Jack stepped up and stood between Victor and Danny. Normally he never thought twice about Jack's stature – the man's presence alone was statuesque – but he couldn't help but notice at this moment just how much he and Victor towered over him. So as casually as he could, he pretended to suddenly find a folder on a nearby desk very intriguing and stepped off to get it.

He flipped it open and pretended to read it with avid interest (not an easy feat considering that the only piece of paper in the folder was a receipt for some take-out) when he heard Jack's voice, quiet as a whisper.

"What were you thinking, stopping by the house like that?" Jack quietly, evenly asked, his eyes glancing askance at the Director.

Victor worked his jaw. "I'm sure you mean that question with all due respect a senior agent."

"With all due respect, the presence of my undercover agent's father could have blown the entire investigation," Jack countered. "You know that you have to leave personal out of it."

"And yet it's funny how seldom you and your team manage to do that," Victor snapped back, jaw clenched tight.

Danny kept his face tilted down to the file folder but his eyes drifted over to study Jack's reaction – knowing full well that a nerve had just been pinched. Even he had sometimes felt the team took things too far due to their own personal feelings – something he felt no guilt in admitting as there were cases that hit home for him as well. The searches for Rafi and Sofie came to the front of his mind.

To his credit, Jack's lips tensed up but he managed to mostly conceal any anger that was surely simmering somewhere beneath as he replied, "And yet we still manage to do our jobs and do it well."

A smirk tugged at Danny's lips at hearing Jack's response. He was suddenly very grateful to be out of Victor's eye line.

Victor pursed his lips and crossed his arms as he snidely replied, "And some people are lucky they still have their jobs."

"You're right, because we both know that it wasn't just my job that was put on the line recently."

This garnered Jack a venomous look from one Victor Fitzgerald.

"And maybe if my son had the sense to seize an opportunity handed to him months ago, he wouldn't have been sent on an errand that not only almost cost him his life but led him to that woman," Victor responded, his voice slightly escalating with each word.

At hearing this cryptic comment, Danny couldn't help but look up. They all knew that when Clark Medina temporarily took over the team that he clearly took a special interest in working alone with Martin. Also, Elena had confided in Danny that she observed a curious interaction between Martin and Medina and when she had asked Martin about it, he shrugged it off saying it was nothing. However, it was clear that whatever had been discussed had rattled him. But to find out that Victor had attempted to push Jack out in order to make Martin the new team leader made Danny's stomach clench tight. He may be Martin's friend, but he was also an agent who had been on the team longer and hated nepotism outranking years of work and seniority. But as quickly as anger began to rise up, it was simmered down by the realization that if that had been Victor's plan, Martin certainly hadn't taken advantage. If anything, he was one of those primarily responsible for Jack's reinstatement.

"But my son is loyal," Victor softly added as he glanced over at the back of the house and finished, "almost to a fault."

Jack simply nodded his head, seemingly willing to call a truce with Victor. Danny wondered if Jack had come to the same conclusion as he did about Martin's role in his getting his supervisory role back.

After a few long, tense, quiet beats, Danny remembered that he wasn't even supposed to be working today and really did not need to stick around, so he cleared his throat and said, "You know what, I'm just gonna…" Jack barely tilted his head in his direction and he couldn't tell if Victor even acknowledged he had heard him. So realizing that his presence was clearly not going to be missed, he headed to the front door and exited the house.

He climbed back into his car, tossed the file folder that he was still holding onto the passenger seat and put the key in the ignition. He had fully intended on going home but somehow he found himself pulling his car into the driveway of the Granger's.

He decided that if they could have one unexpected visitor already today, another one wouldn't hurt. Beside, he was already established as Martin's co-worker so his visit shouldn't be that strange. So he grabbed the file off the passenger seat so this visit appeared work-related, he exited the car, walked up the sidewalk, and rang the doorbell and waited.

And waited.

Feeling impatient and worried at just what may be causing the delay, he rang the doorbell once more when it swung open and Martin appeared.

Martin's expression shifted from annoyance to confusion, when he looked past Danny and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Glancing at him as casually as possible, Danny replied, "You wanna invite me inside or what?"

Motioning for him to enter, Martin murmured, "Sorry, come in. I thought maybe you were my dad."

Stepping into the foyer, Danny said, "Yeah, I saw that daddy stopped by for a little father-son chat." Martin nodded grimly as Danny smirked and added, "He's over talking with Jack and spreading his classic Victor Fitzgerald sunshine."

This earned him a small smile from Martin. "I can only hope that Jack is wearing sunscreen to shield him from all that radiating warmth."

"You know Jack, he's used to the heat," Danny quipped as the two men got into step and moved down the hall to the den.

"So why are you really here?" Martin asked, glancing quickly at the kitchen before moving into the den. He gestured for Danny to sit down and as he did the same, he said, "I thought Jack was babysitting us today."

As Danny settled onto one of the sofa's and tossed the file he had been holding onto the coffee table, he heard some domestic sounds emanating from the kitchen and guessed that Kim was returning to her cooking. He glanced in the direction of the sounds and replied, "I just thought I'd check in and see how you are doing. After your phone call, I wanted to make sure you're alright."

Martin sat back on the sofa and gave him a small smile. "Well, up until my surprise visit a little while ago, I was doing much better."

Studying his friend's face, Danny could clearly read confliction. "This is me, man; don't try and bullshit a bullshitter. How are you really doing?"

Frowning, Martin glanced quickly in the direction of the kitchen before he leaned forward and quietly said, "Listen, you were right. This is harder than I fooled myself into thinking it would be." Danny nodded knowingly, motioning with his hand for Martin to continue. "But Kim and I talked and she said…"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Martin, she's a con artist. You can't believe…"

"Stop it," Martin interrupted, holding up his hand to silence him. "I already got the full lecture from my father, I don't need it from you, too. So if that's why you came here..."

Biting his lip, Danny nodded chagrined. "You're right. Sorry. I just want to make sure that you are… thinking clearly and objectively. I don't want you to get hurt again, man."

"I know. I appreciate your concern. I do." Martin ran a hand over his face and sighed heavily. "I know you warned me this would be hard – and it is – but I feel more than ever that I need to be here. I need to do this – for myself as much as anything or anyone else."

"Okay." Danny acquiesced, not seeing any reason to drag Martin over the coals once again.

Satisfied that they were in agreement, with a small smile, Martin asked, "Now please tell me something good. What exciting things are happening in the outside world?"

There was no suppressing the bright, wide grin that spread over Danny's lips. "Actually, I do have some news. It's pretty big news actually." Martin watched him expectantly as he announced, "Elena's pregnant. I'm going to be a father."

Martin cocked his head at him, as if unsure if he heard correctly. When Danny's smile didn't fade and he nodded that he had in fact heard him right, Martin smiled widely and stammered out, "Wow. That's, uh, wow." He shook his head as if needing to shake some sense into himself and reached over with his hand clenched into a fist, "Congrats, man. This is amazing."

Danny extended his own hand and bumped fists with Martin. "Thanks."

As Martin gave him another smile and sat back in his seat, it did not escape Danny's attention that behind his happy eyes there was tinge of sadness veiled in them as well. Inside, Danny knew that Martin was probably thinking that once again, another of his friend's was moving forward in his life while he was stuck in a painful facsimile of a life he would never be able to enjoy with a woman he had once cared for so much.

As if on cue, the woman in question emerged from the kitchen. She looked wary, knowing full well that Danny Taylor was not one of her fans.

"Hello," she tentatively greeted him, sharing a cautious look with Martin. "How are you?"

Forcing himself to be pleasant, Danny smiled and said, "I'm fine." He jerked his chin in the direction of the kitchen and commented, "Something smells good."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" she asked, seeming anxious to please. "There's plenty."

"Oh, I'd really like to but we have plans with some friends," Danny replied, pleased that he had an excuse to get out of what would surely be an incredibly awkward dinner. "In fact, I better get going. I have a long drive ahead of me."

"Maybe some other time," Kim replied with a shy grin before saying to Martin. "I'll just go set the table." He nodded and she took a step towards the kitchen before pausing to smile again at Danny. "It was nice seeing you. Have a safe drive back."

It took all of Danny's will power to not make a snide comment that he wasn't here for a social call to see her as he'd be just as happy if she were back in the joint and Martin were as far away from her as possible. So instead, he just gave her a polite smile and small wave goodbye.

As soon as she disappeared into the kitchen again, Martin stood up and escorted Danny to the door.

"Thanks for at least trying to pretend to be nice to her. I know it wasn't easy," Martin quietly commented as they reached the door.

"Yeah, well, consider it my Christmas gift," Danny joked as Martin opened the door for him.

Martin laughed. "So what are you really doing for dinner tonight?"

"Actually, I wasn't lying," Danny replied as he stepped outside, pulling his coat tighter to him as the temperature seemed to have dipped ten degrees in the short time he was inside. "Elena made plans with Sam and Brian. We're supposed to go check out that new Italian place on 52nd."

Martin nodded his head slowly, thoughtfully. "Oh, good. Well have fun."

Danny glanced at his friend and couldn't help but notice a melancholy expression cross his face. He suddenly felt guilty. He came here to check up on his friend and make sure he was okay but instead he just reminded Martin of everything he doesn't have: no Sam, no relationship, no children, no marriage, no double dates with his best friend.

_Well done, Taylor. _

"Yeah, well, it's nothing really. Just food." Danny said, trying to play it off in a lame attempt to make Martin feel better. Or at least less bad.

Martin gave him a soft look as if to say he could read through Danny's lame attempt. "Good night. See you Monday."

Danny told him goodnight and hurried to his car. He slammed the door shut, turned on the ignition and set the heater to high. He looked up in time to see Martin through the glass next to the front door and his shadow walk down the hallway to the rear of the house. He stared up at the house thinking that at one time he was certain that he would be visiting Sam and Martin at a place like this. But instead, he was going with his own wife to join Sam for dinner with the father of her child and leaving Martin alone in a house with the woman who broke his heart as they pretend to be a happily married couple.

He put the car in reverse, sighed heavily and thought how much life doesn't go as you once thought it would.


End file.
